Time changes everything
by Nagem
Summary: COMPLETE! Anyway . . . I'm not sure how to summerize this anymore. As for now, it's just the same old Karasu comes back from the dead story.
1. Chapter 1

They were cold, the hands against his neck. They surrounded it gently at first, almost like a lover's caress. He would have relaxed if he could have gotten the bad feeling out of his mind and the smell of near death out of his nose. They squeezed, and his eyes opened to blackness. They squeezed harder and harder until he could barely breathe. He gasped for air and felt a forgien feeling enter his body. It was cold, but yet warm, and it told ever inch of him to beware. He gasped for air again . . . and a roaring pain tore through him as something blew his body apart.  
  
Kurama woke gasping for breath as he sat up in bed. His white T-shirt that he had sleepily thrown over himself stuck to his chest, wet with sweat. His long, red hair stuck through his T-shirt to his back. His whole body was sweating, and every inch of him was wet. His hands flew to his neck where he had felt the hands from his dream. There was nothing there except his own flesh, and he felt like laughing . . . almost.  
"Why do I still think of that?" he asked his walls. "It happened a long time ago." That was not entirely true, but it made him feel better to think that way. The last match of the Dark Tournament had pitted him against Karasu, a demon who transferred his Spirit Energy into his oppnent's body and ignited it, causing the explosion Kurama had witnessed in his dream.  
"It's almost midnight, Suichi, what are you still doing up?" Kurama jumped at the sound of his mother's voice. Shiori stood in the doorway, looking at her son with her hands on her hips. "And why are you all wet?"  
"Sorry, kasaan, I had a nightmare. It woke me, and I guess that I drenched myself in sweat." Kurama knew he sounded rather like a five-year- old, but it was better than thinking up some other lie. He'd lied to her all his life.  
"You had better not be lying," she warned, and stepped out of the room. Kurama put his hands to his forehead, frustrated. What else could he say? He could see it now;  
"Hey, sorry, kasaan, but a couple of months ago, four friends and I went to this thing called the Dark Tournament, where thousands of demons fight for a chance at the prize. In the last match, I fought against this guy who can blow people up just by touching them. Yeah, and the nightmare was about right before the match, where he could have blown me up if he hadn't wanted to fight me. Oh, and while we're at it, I'm really Yoko Kurama, the legendary bandit in the Makai, the demon world. Is there anything else I could talk to you about before you go back to bed?"  
  
Kurama put his hands behind his head and put his hands behind his head as he laid back down on his pillow. He had no intention of going back to sleep, not right now anyway. Months after the Dark Tournament, and he still thought about that fight every day. And every day, he remembered how close he had come to his death, and thought about how lucky he was to have made it through. He sighed, and wished he could talk to one of his friends. Kuwabara was too stupid to understand the fear the dream brought upon him, and Hiei would just, "Hn," and call him a stupid fox.  
"He might just be right about that," Kurama said, imagining Hiei's reaction to what he would have to say. "I might just be a stupid fox, to still be thinking about Karasu, even though the idiot's dead." Kurama looked around his room. "Isn't he?"  
  
Kurama wasn't exactly sure how he had gotten back to sleep, all he knew was that the next time he looked at the clock, it was around eight in the morning. Good thing it's a Saturday, he thought as he got dressed and went downstairs. His mother was in the kitchen, cooking breakfast.  
"Smells good," he said. She jumped and turned around.  
"Suichi! I didn't hear you come down," she said. I wonder why, Kurama thought sarcasticly. Might it be because I used to be a legendary theif? Nah. He smiled and shook his head at his own thoughts. "Did you ever get back to sleep last night?"  
"Yeah," Kurama said, helping himself to a piece of the toast she had just put on the table. "Though I don't really know how."  
"You were probably just tired," she said, putting a plate of eggs in front of him. She looked closer at him. "You seem worried about something."  
"Worried?" Kurama asked, his voice rising an octave. "Who's worried? I'm not worried, I have nothing to worry about." Can she really see right through me? Kurama wondered. How can she know that I'm worried about demons coming back to life. Not that it's possible, he assured himself hurridly. He forced himself to grin as he swallowed the last of his eggs. He knew it looked slightly strained, but it was better than nothing.  
"Are you going out today?" Shiori asked.  
"Yep," Kurama said. "I'll be back before dinner." And with that, he left the house.  
  
"What do you mean? How is this possible?" Koenma glared at Botan from across his desk. She looked slightly nervous, but she repeated her story to Koenma.  
"I went to guide another soul to the Spirit World," she began. "But when I went to the living world, a soul escaped from the Spirit World."  
"I don't know how that's possible," Koenma said. "Unless the person was really powerful in life."  
"He was," Botan said. She was afraid of what Koenma might do if she told him who exactly it was.  
"Do you know who he was . . . ?" Koenma said, almost as afraid as Botan was.  
"Yes . . . " she said.  
"Who was it then?" Koenma demanded. "Spit it out!"  
"It was Karasu, Koenma sir," she said, and winced, remembering, as Kurama had, the battle where he had died.  
"W-what?" Koenma asked. "Not that Karasu." He moved his hands to indicate an explosion. "Not the one that Kurama killed?"  
"The very same," Botan said. "He must have wanted to come back to get revenge on Kurama."  
"I have to agree," Koenma said.  
"Should I inform Yusuke?"  
"No, not yet," Koenma said. "I want to be sure of what he's after before we make a move."  
"Is that wise, sir?" Jorge, the blue ogre asked.  
"Of course!" Koenma said. "I am the great Koenma!! When have I ever been wrong?"  
"Do you want the short list, or the long?" Jorge asked.  
"Shut up, Ogre!" Koenma said. "This time I'm sure of what I'm doing! Leave it to me!!" He watched as Botan and Jorge left the room-Botan to go back to her job, and Jorge to get Koenma more paperwork. "At least, I think I know what I'm doing." 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer:  
I think I should have put this earlier, but I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, or anything else in this fic. (Anything that comes up)  
  
  
  
As he walked down the street, Kurama thought about his dream again. (Why can't I get this off my mind?) he wondered. (I think I've worried myself enough about it!!) He tried to think of other things, like, what he was going to do that day, or what Yusuke and the others were doing, but in a back corner of his mind, the dream lurked, as persistant as ever.  
"Hey, Kurama!!!" Kurama turned and saw Kuwabara running down the sidewalk toward him. "I've been calling your name for about a block now, but you never even took notice of me. What's up?" Kurama smiled.  
"I thought I made it clear that when you adress me in public, my name is 'Suichi'," Kurama said. Kuwabara paused for a moment.  
"Oh, sorry," he said. "I guess I forgot." (Again,) Kurama noted mentally. "Like I was saying, you've been spacy lately. What's up with that?"  
"I guess I've been thinking about things harder lately," Kurama said. Well, it wasn't exactly a lie. He was thinking hard about the dream . . . but still, it was, for the most part, a lie. (I lie by silence,) Kurama thought as he studied Kuwabara's face for his reaction. Kuwabara seemed satisfied for a moment, but after a hurried excuse to leave, he turned to face Kurama again.  
"Are you sure that's it?" he asked. Kurama had to smile at the human's kind heart.  
"Yeah, I'm sure about it," Kurama said. "So . . . were you just going to stop me to have a five-minute-chat, or was there something more to it?" As sincere as he was about the statement, it still sounded sarcastic.  
"Yeah," Kuwabara said. "Urameshi told me to find you."  
"Really?" Kurama said. "What's up?"  
"I don't know," Kuwabara said. "He just called and said that he wanted me to find you."  
"Oh, well, let's go then," Kurama said.  
"Yeah!" Kuwabara yelled.  
  
Yusuke Urameshi sat in Kuwabara's room, waiting for him and Kurama to come. Meanwhile, he stared at the tape that Botan had given him earlier that morning.  
"Botan, it's way too early in the morning for this type of thing," he had moaned through a yawn.  
"Shush," she told him. "I have a tape from the Spirit World describing your next case." He had took the tape and noticed a note on top of it.  
"What's this?" he asked, taking the note of the top of it.  
"Oh," Botan said. "I guess I didn't notice that. It's a note from Koenma. I'd suggest you read it." Yusuke looked at the note again.  
  
Yusuke,  
  
I want you to make sure that Kurama comes with you on this case. I know, I know, you're wondering why. Well, the thing is, Karasu has returned. You remember, right? The one Kurama fought? Even if you don't, we believe that Karasu is planning his revenge against Kurama. So, we want you to keep Kurama busy while we track him down and bring him back to the Spirit World.  
  
Luckily, this came up right after he did. We want you to go and find the criminals in the Spirit World. It's described better in the tape. Signing out,  
  
Koenma.  
  
"Well, okay," Yusuke said. "But I'm going back to bed until I'm ready to watch this."And with that, he had walked off.  
"Yusuke, you're inpossible!!" Botan had yelled. Yusuke, of course, had ignored her.  
  
"So, it's another one of those things from Koenma," Shizuru said, coming in and sitting down beside him. "I hope it's not another Tournament. That was . . . "  
"Not fun," Yusuke finished the sentence for her. "It's something about going to the Spirit World and tracking down the people who did something wrong."  
"Why haven't you watched it yet?"  
"The note on it was talking about Kurama," Yusuke said. "Koenma wanted him to go on this case, so I sent your brother to find him."  
"Are you sure that was a good idea?" Shizuru asked.  
"Not sure," Yusuke said.  
"URAMESHI!!!" Kuwabara's voice rang through the house and into Yusuke's ears. He covered them, and Shizuru winced and walked out.  
"There's no need to yell," came a softer voice. "He's right here." Yusuke smiled at Kurama as he walked into the room. "So, what's up?"  
"Koenma sent me another tape with a case on it," Yusuke said, over the sounds of Shizuru smacking Kuwabara. "And I thought it might be a good idea to have you over."  
"Because Koenma asked for him?"  
"Hey, Shrimp," Kuwabara said, walking in. There were several lumps on his head and his left eye was rapidly going black and blue. "Why are you here?"  
"I saw you and Kurama walking, and I decided to come," Hiei said. "Good thing, too, after what I heard."  
"Why would Koenma ask for me?" Kurama asked. All three of the others shrugged. "Fine. Let's just watch the tape." Yusuke popped the tape into the VCR.  
  
"Do you think Kurama will fall for it?" Koenma asked. He was fidgeting nervously at his desk waiting for Botan to return with news of the four Spirit Detectives.  
"I'm not sure, Koenma sir," Jorge said.  
"Where is Botan?" Koenma demanded.  
"I think she's still watching Yusuke and the others, sir," Jorge said. "I think that Kurama's smart enough to see through it . . . "  
"Who cares, Ogre!!" Koenma said.  
"But, Koenma sir," Jorge said.  
"Koenma sir!!" Botan came running in.  
"What's the news, Botan?" Koenma asked.  
"Yes, do tell," Jorge commented.  
"I don't think Kurama fell for it," Botan said. "But he's playing along with it anyway." Koenma sighed.  
"I though this would happen. Oh, well, we'll have to hope that Kurama will just play along until we catch Karasu," Koenma said.  
"We will, Koenma, we will," Botan said as Koenma turned on the television where they watched Yusuke.  
  
"So . . . that's it?" Yusuke said. "We just have to catch some robbers and take their treasures back to Koenma?"  
"That's simple!!" Kuwabara said.  
"I do admit, it doesn't look very challenging," Kurama said. He was glad to have something to take his mind off of the dreams. Hiei gave him a glance, and Kurama smiled.  
"I think that they could have sent someone else to do this," Hiei said. "I'm not gonna help this time."  
"I though you had to-" Yusuke trailed off as Hiei jumped out of the window.  
"Just let him go," Kurama said. "He's the one who's going to miss the action." If Yusuke hadn't known any better, he would have sworn that Kurama was happy about getting a new case. He shrugged it off.  
"Well, let's go, then!" Yusuke said.  
  
  
  
Hey, Nagem here! Sorry these two are such short chapters . . . it's my first fic. Oh, well. I'd like a couple of reviews before I post the next chapter, so . . . if you don't mind, please review. Did I say that right? Oh, well, you get what I mean!! Bye! 


	3. Chapter 3

HEEEEYYY!! Sorry it's been a while. I was gone, didn't feel like working on it, and then I was gone again. Ooops. Oh, well, thanks to those of you who reviewed . . . and I hope more people do!! Anyway, here's chapter 3. It makes me sooooo happy!! *Hugs Kurama plushie*  
  
Hiei: I should think so. You make Kurama clueless enough.  
  
Nagem: What does that mean? *Throws Kurama plushie at Hiei's head* OH NO!! WHAT HAVE I DONE???  
  
Hiei: I'd venture to say that you threw this at me.  
  
Nagem: x.x   
  
CHAPTER THREE.  
  
Botan threw nervous glances at Kurama as she opened the portal to the Makai. He seemed to be playing along so far . . . (But he'll eventually find out what's going on,) Botan thought. He seemed to be quite content at the moment, chatting with Yusuke while Kuwabara watched Botan, looking as though he had seen a ghost. As she made the final adjustments to the portal, it turned a sickly purple.  
"There," she said, putting an end to the conversation. "I think that's it." Kurama and Yusuke nodded, while some green tinged Kuwbara's pale face.  
"You don't have to come," Yusuke said. "We can handle this."  
"Whadda ya talking about Urameshi?" Kuwabara demanded. "Of course I'm coming!! You'd screw it up without me."  
"Don't I count for something?" Kurama asked, coming forward, toward the portal. Yusuke grinned, and Kuwabara looked slightly put-out.  
"Sorry," Kuwabara said. "Yeah, you count." He though for a moment. "I wasn't talking about you, though."  
"Right," Kurama said. It was hard to tell if he was being sarcastic or not. "Well, then, shall we get going?"  
"You should," Botan said. "The sooner you catch the criminals, the better." She thought about it. (Take your time,) she thought. (We have no idea how long it will take to catch Karasu. Poor Kurama.) She nodded at Yusuke, hoping he got the message as he stepped into the portal.  
"We'll be back," Kuwabara promised as he followed Yusuke. Kurama didn't say a word, but nodded at Botan, as if he knew exactly what was going on. When all of them had dissappeared, she sighed and closed the portal.  
"Sorry, Kurama," she said to where the young man had been standing a minute before. "But I think this is the best way to keep you out of trouble." She summoned her oar and flew off for the Spirit World. "I'm sorry."  
  
Koenma fidgeted nervously in his chair as he waited for Botan to return. He didn't even look at the television, where the three monitered fighters moved through the demon world. He had glanced at it when they had first entered the screen, and gave a sigh of relief. Kurama had appeared to be playing along, seemingly turning all his mind to the mission ahead of them. Botan came in, her pink kimono ruffled from the wind.  
"So, did Kurama suspect anything?" Koenma asked. Botan avoided his eyes and looked around nervously. "Well?"  
"Worse, Koenma sir," Botan said. "He acted like he knew exactly what was going on, and what we were doing."  
"Poopy!" Koenma said.  
"But Koenma sir, it doesn't mean he really knows," Jorge said. "It could be just an act. You know how he is."  
"Of course!!" Koenma yelled. "I knew that! I was just thinking about what we were going to do about Karasu. We have every spare oni looking for him in the Spirit World, but there's no way we can search the human world!"  
  
"Do you think that's where he is?" Botan asked.  
"Yes," Koenma said. "But there's no way we can search there without someone noticing!!" He turned to Jorge, who was watching the screen with a puzzled look on his face. "What's wrong?"  
"Where's Hiei?" he asked.  
"That's it!!" Koenma said.  
"What's it?" Botan asked.  
"Bring Hiei to me," Koenma said. "I've got a little something for him to do while the others are away." Botan and Jorge looked at each other, smiling as they realized what Koenma was planning.  
"A very good idea, Koenma sir," Jorge said as Botan walked out the door. Koenma grinned.  
"Yep! I'm full of 'em!" Koenma said. Jorge scratched his head.  
"Not from what I remember, Koenma sir," he said. Koenma leaped up and hit him on the head. "Ow!! You didn't have to hit me!!"  
  
"So . . . where do you think we should start looking?" Yusuke asked as he, Kuwabara, and Kurama walked through a thick forest where they had arrived. Kuwabara looked nervous, but Kurama acted as though he was right at home. (Well, he did live here for nearly all of his life,) Yusuke reminded himself sternly.  
"Kurama, what are you doing?" Kuwabara asked as Kurama knelt down next to a patch of flowers. Yusuke stopped and watched, too.  
"Sorry," Kurama said. "It's just that Makai flowers are much more effective as weapons than human realm flowers are." It was part truth, but what he wasn't going to tell them was that these flowers, tended in the right manner, let their owner sleep dreamlessly. (Just what I need,) Kurama thought as he tucked the flowers in his hair and slipped the seeds in his pocket. Meanwhile, Yusuke and Kuwabara had taken to planning the next course of action.  
"I think we should ask around and see if anyone had heard anything about the theives," Yusuke said.  
"Are you kidding?" Kuwabara asked. "Remember what the demons were like the last time we were here?"  
"Yeah," Yusuke said.  
"So then what makes you think that they're going to tell us anything?"  
"We'll just threaten them until we get the information we need," Yusuke said.  
"I think that you and Hiei need to stop hanging around each other," Kuwabara said as he glanced over at Kurama. "What do you think?" Kurama smiled.  
"I think you might be right," Kurama said. "He does seem to be picking up some of Hiei's characteristics." Yusuke scowled as Kurama and Kuwabara laughed silently.  
"Fine, be that way, I think it's a good idea," Yusuke said.  
"It was a joke," Kurama said.  
"Yeah! Lighten up, Urameshi!!" Kuwabara said, though he couldn't help but laugh as Yusuke grumbled to himself.  
"He is right though," Kurama said, "That is probably the only way we'd get any information out of the demons around here." He looked around. "I think we should go this way to get out of the forest." Yusuke smiled in spite of himself, and they walked in the direction Kurama had pointed.  
  
"You called?" Hiei's scowl was more meanacing than Yusuke's as he surveyed Koenma while Botan waited nervously in the background. "Well?"  
"I have something I want you to do," Koenma said.  
"Well, I know that," Hiei growled. "What is it?"  
"Karasu has returned." Hiei's eyes widened slightly. "And we want you to go and find him in the human realm, where he is probably hiding, plotting his revenge against Kurama."  
"Ah, that's why you wanted to send Kurama to the Makai. As if it wasn't any more obvious before," Hiei said. It had to be the closest thing to sarcasm he had ever managed. Koenma frowned, and Botan backed away from the two of them.  
"Well, will you?"  
"Why not?" Hiei asked. "I've had nothing to do lately."  
"Then it's settled!" Koenma said. "Botan, take Hiei to where Karasu would most likely be hiding."  
"Right, Koenma sir," Botan said. "Hiei, folllow me." Hiei nodded and walked out of the office behind Botan.  
"Well, that takes care of that," Koenma said.  
  
Somewhere in the Makai, not too far away from where Yusuke, Kuwabara and Kurama were, a dark shadow lurked in one of the trees. A hand moved and played with its owner's long black hair in a bored manner.  
"Things are going as planned," Karasu muttered to himself as he played with his hair and listened to the sounds of the three Spirit Detectives moving through the forest. He had hired a band of demons to steal a rare treasure to lure Kurama into the Makai. Of course, when they demanded the payment he had promised, he would kill them, but it was working.  
"Yo! You there!" Karasu turned to see three of the demons he had hired walking to him. Karasu sighed. He had no time for trivial interruptions like this.  
"What do you want?" he asked, jumping from the tree he had been resting in to face the three. They were obviously of lower rank in the band. The others wouldn't "waste" their time talking to him. They thought he was worthless, even after everything he had "promised".  
"Our boss wants to know when you're gonna give us that money you said you would," one of the demons said. Karasu sighed.  
"I think your boss has forgotten his place," Karasu said. "I told them I wouldn't pay them until I had gotten what I want."  
"We have the treasures," said the second demon. "But you won't take them!!" Karasu smiled and put his hand on the demon's neck, forcing him to look Karasu in the eyes.  
"Perhaps what I want is not the treasures, but something else," Karasu mused. The demon scowled, obviously not sensing the yoki the other demon was forcing into his body.  
"Then what do you want?" the demon asked. Karasu smiled as he stopped the flow of yoki. He let go of the demon and walked to the tree.  
"That is for me to know," he said. And with those words, the demon he had been talking to exploded.  
"What the-?" one yelled.  
"How'd that happen?" the other exclaimed.  
"Simple," Karasu said. "I didn't like his tone of voice, so I decided to get rid of it." The other two looked horrified.  
"YOU blew him up?" they asked.  
"Yes," Karasu said simply. "And I'll do the same to you unless you tell your little boss what I told you." They ran off. Karasu thought a moment. "Now, what was that again? How many demons does it take to deliver a message?" He watched the two retreating backs. Then he smiled to himself. "Of course, how silly of me to forget. It takes one." He leapt. One demon turned aound fearfully, and Karasu laid his hands on the one who kept his back turned. As he leapt away again, the demon blew up.  
"Shit," the remaining demon cursed.  
"Remember," Karasu said. "This is why you do not turn your back on me without a proper send-off." The demon gulped. "Do you hear me?"  
"Yes, sir," the demon spat.  
"I don't like you, either," Karasu said. "But I think it would be hardly sensible to send a message without any messangers. I'll kill you another day. Begone." The demon ran. Karasu watched him as he vanished into the trees, and he turned back to where he had been listening before.  
"You'll be mine, Kurama. Soon enough, you'll belong to me."  
  
  
  
Hah, Hiei, I told you I'd get my plushie back. *Squeezes Kurama plushie*  
  
Hiei: Hn.  
  
Nagem: Right. Anyway, how do you like THAT turn of events? Hee-hee, I am so evil.  
  
Hiei: Yes, you really are.  
  
Nagem: Do I need to shut you up again? Anyway, please review.  
  
Hiei: Makai knows she needs it.  
  
Nagem: Hey!! *Throws Kurama plushie at Hiei* NOOOOOO! I DID IT AGAIN!!  
  
Hiei: Hah! You're not getting it back this time.  
  
Nagem: Yes, I forget how much you wuv you wittle Kuwama.  
  
Hiei: Shut up!! *Throws Kurama plushie*  
  
Nagem: x.x  
  
Hiei: Oh, well. She told me to say, "Please review!!" 


	4. Chapter 4

Er, I just realized that I made a mistake. It's nothing big, but I'm mentioning it. At first, I said, "Two demons in the Spirit World," but then I went and sent Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama to the Makai. Just to clarify, I meant the Makai all along. It was a typo, really, I'm just too lazy to go and change/upload again. Hee hee. Oops.  
  
Hiei: You meant to do that.  
  
Nagem: I did not!!  
  
Hiei: Yes, you did!!  
  
Nagem: *Throws Kurama plushie* HAH! I GOT YOU!!  
  
Hiei: Say the stupid discaimer already.  
  
Nagem: I said you have to say it.  
  
Hiei: Did not!  
  
Nagem: Did too! Give me my plushie back!  
  
Hiei: Never! And you did not!  
  
Kurama: Because those two seem preoccupied, Nagem does not own Yu-Yu Hakusho, or anything.  
  
Nagem: I WANT TOO, THOUGH!! I WILL IN THE END!! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!! ONTO THE STORY!!!!   
  
"Do you think we should camp here for the night?"  
"How should I know, Urameshi? Ask Kurama."  
"Kurama? Kurama. Kurama!"  
"Huh? What did I miss?"  
"We wanted to know if this is a good place to camp," Yusuke glared at Kurama. He had been staring off into nowhere for the last half-hour, while Kuwabara and Yusuke had been looking for a place to camp. "You know this place better than either of us, so . . . what do you say?" Kurama looked around at the place they had settled for the first time. He had to admit, this clearing was a good choice for a human campsite, but his Yoko side told him that there wasn't enough cover. He got up and walked over to one of the trees.  
"Kurama?" Kuwabara asked. (He sure has been acting strange lately,) Kuwabara thought. (I wonder what's up.)  
"I'm sorry," Kurama said. His hand rested gently on the tree. "I just thought that we might want a place with a little more cover. If any demons found us here, unguarded . . . " Yusuke winced.  
"I see what you mean," he said simply. "C'mon, Kuwabara, Kurama's right, we should move into the forest."  
"I didn't mean in the forest, Yusuke," Kurama said.  
"Then where?" Kuwabara asked.  
"I was thinking," Kurama said. "Now that I remember where we are, I've realized that I used to have a small hideout around here."  
"Really?" Yusuke said. "You told us your hideout was somewhere in the mountians."  
"My hideouts are all over the place," Kurama said. "Small caves, just to hide in when there were demons chasing after me. But my real home was in the deepest darkest forest in the Makai." (A/N: Don't flame me, I'm just guessing where his den was.)  
"Small?" Kuwabara sounded doubtful.  
"Big enough for us to fit in," Kurama said, sizing them up. "I don't think there will be any problems there."  
"I hope not," Yusuke said as Kurama led them into the forest. "Hey, don't you think after all these years that there should be other demons living in the unused caves?"  
"He has a point, Kurama," Kuwabara said.  
"I don't think so," Kurama said. "After my little appearance at the Dark Tournament, every demon thinks I'm going to come back to the Makai and wreak havoc on them." All three of the boys grinned, and Yusuke even went so far as to laugh out loud, scaring several small birds out of a nearby tree.  
  
"What do you mean, that's all you know?"  
Hiei held one demon by the collar of his shirt, punching information out of him while he kept the other two at bay with a wall of fire. He glared at the demon he held, and the thing winced, and began to babble.  
"I swear, that's it," he said. "I heard that Karasu had come back and was looking for demons, but when I came here, I couldn't find him!"  
"We're all having about as much luck with this guy as you are, Hiei," one of the demons behind the firewall said. (Perhaps they haven't realized I coul easily flame them all to death from where I stand,) Hiei thought as he threw the demon he held into the fire. The thing screamed, and vanished into the flames. Hiei smirked.  
"Now, tell me all you know, and I'll think about sparing your lives," Hiei told the others. They muttered to themselves, and Hiei grew angry. "You know, if I wasn't looking for information, then I would kill you all without a second glance!!" That seemed to work. They looked around, and then at him.  
"Well, we know he's not in the human realm," one demon said. "But we're not sure where he is." Hiei opened his Jagan eye, and, skimming over the surface of their minds, he knew this was true. He nodded. The others looked relieved.  
"Is ther anything else that you might want to tell me?"  
"We know he came back to get revenge on Yoko Kurama," one of the others added. Even the best of Hiei's self-control could not keep the rage from surfacing.  
"I know that!" he yelled into their faces. "Why the hell else would I be bothering with this?! I have better things to do!" (Like killing Kuwabara,) he noted mentally. He couldn't help himself. The other demons looked doubtful, and Hiei raised the firewall. They backed away from it. (Perhaps they aren't as stupid as they look,) he thought. The communicater in his pocket beeped.  
"Hiei, do you have anything?" Koenma's face appeared on the screen. Behind him, Jorge was looking around nervously, and he could hear Botan yelling at someone or something.  
"Is that Koenma?" one of the demons asked. Hiei made the firewall grow until it had eaten several of the demons.  
"I have nothing," Hiei said. "All I know is that he isn't in the human world. Although. " He glanced over at the remaining demons. "I'm not exactly sure how truthful these demons are. They'd probably say anything to get out of death."  
"Did you try and read their minds?"  
"Yes, but I didn't go in very deep," Hiei said. "And the mind can lie as well, if the posseser really doesn't want to tell the truth . . . or doesn't know the truth."  
"Oh, well, keep searching," Koenma told him. "Try somewhere else." Hiei smiled. "Huh? Why are you so happy?"  
"I've been waiting to do this," he said. With that, he made the firewall comsume all of the demons. "Ah, they were getting on my nerves."  
"Only you could take pleasure in killing someone," Koenma said. And he signed off.  
  
"THIS is SMALL?!?!" Yusuke yelled as he, Kuwabara, and Kurama walked into the cave that Kurama had told them about. "Kurama, this thing is huge!!!"  
"It was one of my smaller hideaways," Kurama said, looking around at the vine-covered walls.  
"If this is his defenition of small, then I want to see a big cave," Yusuke muttered to Kuwabara. Kuwabara nodded.  
"Hey, Kurama?"  
"Yes, Kuwabara?"  
"How do you know this place used to be yours?" Kurama pointed at a large patch of moss.  
"That was my bed, when I stayed the night," he said. "It's a bit larger than when I left it, and I bet all of the treasures I left in here are gone . . . but it'll do." Yusuke knelt down and picked something up. "What is it?"  
"I think . . . it's fur," Yusuke said.  
"It is!" Kuwabara said. They both looked at Kurama, who blushed slightly. They both laughed at him.  
"I guess I used to shed," Kurama told them. They continued to laugh. Yusuke was the first to stop. Gasping for breath and wiping his eyes, he looked at Kurama.  
"Sorry," he said. "It's nothing to laugh at, but we just found it so funny. . . . " Kurama, who had stopped blushing, laughed a little bit himself.  
"I know, I think I can understand," Kurama said. Then he tensed.  
"What's the matter?" Yusuke asked, as Kuwabara looked around as well.  
  
"You can feel it, too?" Kurama asked. Kuwabara nodded. Kurama turned to Yusuke. "There's a large amount of Yoki nearby. I don't know who it is, though."  
"It feels familiar," Kuwabara added.  
"Do you think they're looking for a fight?" Yusuke asked, his hands already moving to form the Spirit Gun. Kurama sniffed the air.  
"No, I don't think so," he said. "They're just spying on us. They could be relaying information to the people we're trying to capture."  
"I'll go and check," Yusuke said.  
"You do that," Kuwabara said.  
"And if you need help, just yell," Kurama said.  
"Right," Yusuke said.  
  
Karasu smiled. Kurama knew that he was outside the hideaway, but the poor kitsune couldn't place his energy. He heard the three talking about something inside the cave. He stopped moving around so he could hear the three Spirit Detectives.  
"I'll go and check," Yusuke's voice said.  
"You do that," Kuwabara's voice said.  
"And if you need help, just yell," Kurama's voice said.  
"Right," came Yusuke's voice again, and he heard the footsteps coming toward him. Karasu smiled. How easily he could just waltz in there and blow all of them up, getting his revenge . . . but he was more artistic than that. He'd make Kurama regret the other demon's death slowly . . . slowly . . . and then Karasu would be satisfied.  
"Ah, but Koenma doesn't let the fox know that I'm back," Karasu said. "He thinks to eliminate me before I can touch Kurama. Stupid toddler."  
"Who's out here?" Karasu looked down to see the Spirit Detective walking out of the cave. "I'd show yourself if I were you!"  
"Ah, but do you want to fight me?" Karasu asked. He moved to jump out of the tree, purposely moving some branches. Yusuke's gaze shifted to where Karasu was.  
"Who's there?" he yelled, and there was defenately fear in his voice this time. Karasu leapt down from the tree. "You!"  
"Yes, me," Karasu said, "Don't tell me you're not happy to see me, Yusuke." Yusuke shuddered, and began to gather the energy needed for the Spirit Gun.  
"Stay away from Kurama," Yusuke said. As if on cue, Kurama's voice rang out from inside the cave where he waited.  
"Yusuke? Is everything all right?"  
"Fine!" Yusuke yelled. "Just fine!" He tried to hide the fear in his voice, and succeeded-barely. "You want him, you'll have to get through me first."  
"Ah, but I don't want you," Karasu said. "I want Kurama to feel the pain I felt, to think what I did when I died."  
"Yeah, but you won't!" Yusuke yelled. "Spirit Gun!" He hadn't been hoping for a hit, but he was still discouraged when Karasu jumped to one side.  
"Do you want me to take you out now?" He waved a threatening hand. "I can arrange that, you know." He moved toward Yusuke.  
"Get away!" Yusuke yelled. Karasu paused.  
"That was what Kurama said to me," Karasu said. "You saw the mistake he made after that. I suggest you avoid that at all costs."  
"He just got rid of another sadist that this world didn't need!" Yusuke shouted as Karasu retreated into the trees. He heard footsteps and saw Kurama and Kuwabara running out of the cave.  
"Are you alright?" Kurama asked. "I heard you fire your Spirit Gun."  
"It's fine . . . I mean, I'm fine," Yusuke said. Kuwabara opened his mouth, but Yusuke gave him a look that clearly said, 'later'. Kuwabara nodded, and backed away.  
"I think we'd better rest," Kurama said. "I have a feeling tomorrow's going to be a big day." Yusuke glanced at Kuwabara nervously. (Does he know?) Yusuke wondered. Hah! There we go! Another one down.  
  
Kurama: . . . You're crazy. And that's scary.  
  
Nagem: You bet it is! *Starts making creepy signs with hands* What is Karasu planning . . . can Kurama overcome it?  
  
Kurama: Stop it!  
  
Hiei: Baka.  
  
Nagem: I'll leave you alone for now, Kurama. Please review! Otherwise I will not post the next chapter! 


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Yu Hakusho, or anything. *Cry*  
  
Kurama: That's it?!?! Just the disclaimer, no flying Kurama plushies or anything??  
  
Nagem: Nope.  
  
Kurama: YES!! I AM FREE!!  
  
Nagem: Not quite yet, fox-boy.  
  
Kurama: Hn.  
  
Hiei: That's my line!!   
  
Karasu smiled. Even as his prey slept, his plan was slowly falling into place. Within days, there would be rumors of why the Spirit Detective was in the Makai. Then the demons Karasu still had to pay would realize that they were being hunted, and then, then the real action would begin. His smile became an evil sneer as Kurama walked out into the open. He jumped to another, closer tree and listened to what the fox was saying to his friends, who were still inside the cave.  
"Listen, I'm just going to go find a place where I can take a bath!" Kurama yelled.  
"Kurama, just let one of us follow," came Yusuke's voice. "It's dangerous out there, with all of the demons, and if you drop your guard. . . ."  
"Yusuke, who's the one who has lived in the Makai before?" Kurama's voice was sickly sweet. "Not you, not Kuwabara, me." He jabbed his finger at his chest as though it might make his point clearer. Karasu had to laugh at the fox's antics. Kurama heard him, and whirled around to where Karasu hid. "Is someone there?" His voice was dangerously quiet, and his hand was reaching for one of his plants.  
"You know Makai plants make better weapons, fox," Karasu said, deeping his voice slightly. He didn't want Kurama to be aware of his revival just yet. That would come later in the plan. When Kurama's hand came into Karasu's sight, there was a single rose in it.  
"Who are you? How do you know my true nature?" Kurama's voice was still quiet, as though he did not want to alert his friends to the problem outside.  
"Let's just say we've met before," Karasu told him, and then decided that the fox already knew too much. He leapt out of the tree and off into the deepest parts of the Makai.  
"Kurama?" Yusuke came out of the cave. "What's up?"  
"Nothing," Kurama said. "Nothing at all." He looked around at the trees, and Yusuke wondered just how much of the truth his friend told him. "Why are you out here?"  
"I told you, I'm following you," Yusuke said.  
"Did it ever occur to you that I'm taking a BATH?" Kurama demanded to know.  
"Yep," Yusuke said. "I'm just out here for your own safety."  
"This is going to be a very long trip," Kurama moaned.  
  
A few hours later, Kurama (who had been followed by a very persistant Yusuke) sat on the floor of the cave with Kuwabara, while Yusuke tried to rid himself of Kurama's plant trap just outside the cave. The two sat in silence, although Kuwabara kept glancing nervously at Kurama. Kurama glared when he caught one of Kuwabara's glances.  
"Is there something you want to ask me?"  
"Well, you're usually nicer than this," Kuwabara told Kurama. "Now, all of the sudden, you're like a strange version of Hiei or something." Kurama thought for a moment and nodded.  
"It is true," he said. "I have been rather aggresive lately . . . I honestly don't know why." Kuwabara studied his friend's face. He'd never really disliked Kurama. It was just that, Kurama was the creepy fox thing, and Kuwabara was weary of that. He didn't want to get into a fight with him. But now, as he looked closely, he saw the marks of a human life on the fox. There were bags under his eyes, he had obviously not slept in a while. Stress lines snaked their ways across his face. His long red hair was unkempt and messy, and his clothes screamed for a washing. Kuwabara wondered what was up with Kurama.  
"Is there something wrong?" Kuwabara asked Kurama.  
"Hm?"  
"Is there something wrong with you?"  
"I don't know," Kurama said, but he was running a finger across the dirt uncertianly. "I guess. I've been having these nightmares about Karasu. Do you remember him?"  
"Yeah," Kuwabara said. "You beat him . . . " Neither Kuwabara or Kurama wanted to hear the next words that came out of Kuwabara's mouth, but they both knew they were neccesary. "You killed him." Kurama didn't know what made it truth when it came out of a friend's mouth, but when he heard Kuwabara tell him that, he felt better, more sure, that Karasu would not return.  
"KURAMA!!!" Yusuke stood in the mouth of the cave, looking quite disshelved. His clothes were ripped and torn in various places, and he was bleeding from several gashes, and, worst of all, his hair was down.  
"Yusuke," Kurama said, a smile curving its way onto his lips. He couldn't help himself. Yusuke glared at him.  
"Yo, Urameshi!" Kuwabara said. "So, you finally worked your way out of Kurama's plants, did you?"  
"They must have liked you, Yusuke," Kurama said, smiling wider. "They usually don't cut people. They hold him until I feel like letting them go."  
  
"When I shot your damned plants, they grew back with thorns!!" Yusuke yelled.  
"I should have mentioned," Kurama said, "They grow off of Spirit Energy that is used against them. I find the fact quite useful in fights." Even though he was smiling so hard his face hurt, Kurama kept a cool front, as though he were talking about the weather or something humans would discuss every day.  
"Four Spirit Guns, Kurama. Four," Yusuke said.  
"Dang," Kuwabara breathed.  
"Why'd you do that?"  
"I told you not to follow me." Kurama was getting up off the ground and walking out toward Yusuke. "Please, I honestly am sorry. I have been grouchy lately." HIs narrowed, and he pulled something out of Yusuke's arm.  
  
"Ow! I forgive you, but why'd you do that?" Yusuke asked, holding his arm. It had hurt much more than a mere thorn should. "It was only a thorn." But what Kurama held up was a wriggling, mini version of the plants that had attacked him outside. "Nevermind."  
"Shall we look for information today?" Kurama asked.  
"Yep!" Yusuke said.  
  
"When will we get the payment you promised?" Makon, the leader of the theives, asked, slamming his fist into a tree. Karasu stood across the clearing from him, leaning on a tree, having no wish to get to close to the angry demon.  
"You will get what you want when I get what I want," Karasu said.  
"You've already said you don't care about the treasures," Makon said. "Tell us what you want, and we'll get it. Just give me my powers back before the others can rebel!" Karasu sighed, and held out a glowing sphere. Makon's eyes lit up.  
"This is what you want?" Karasu said. Makon nodded, and began to move toward Karasu. "What I want you cannot give me willingly."  
"Name it, and you shall have it," Makon said.  
"You will give it to me without knowing what you have done," Karasu told him. Makon nodded, eyes still on the glowing sphere. "And then, you shall die."  
"Just give it to me!" Makon lunged at Karasu, and missed horribly as Karasu whipped the sphere out of sight and jumped out of the way. Makon slammed into the tree Karasu had been leaning against. Makon was scrambling away from it for another attack on Karasu when it blew up. Makon turned fearfully.  
"You see?" Karasu said.  
"Y-y-you?" Makon stuttered, already once hearing of the other demon's fearful powers. Karasu nodded. Makon then pointed at himself. "Me?" he asked, wondering if Karasu would get the point he was trying to make.  
"Yes, after a while," Karasu said. "But perhaps I can be convinced to spare you if I get what I want soon."  
"How soon?"  
"Very soon," Karasu told him, and leapt out of the clearing. Makon fell to his knees and cursed himself silently in every language he knew.  
"Master!" Makon looked to see one of his lackeys running toward him.  
"What is it?" Makon asked, all his patience for the day worn out from dealing with Karasu. The lackey had a fearful look in his eyes.  
"The Spirit Detectives are here!" the lackey said. Makon cursed again.  
"Just avoid them," he told the lackey.  
"We can't," the other demon told him. "We were at the bar when they came in. The red-haired one saw one of the treasures, and then all three of them attacked!"  
"Three?"  
"Yes, only three of them were there," the lackey said.  
"What about the other five treasures?" Makon asked.  
"Right here," the lackey said, opening his coat and pouring them into his leader's hand. Makon smiled.  
"This is all we need," Makon said. "Let the others go, and if they followed you, or found us, we'll fight." The eyes of his demon army gleamed in the dark bushes.  
"Right, sir," the lackey said.  
  
Kurama cursed mentally as he, Yusuke, and Kuwabara sat down at a local demon pub. He had no wish to be here, but it was the only place that they might get information about the theives. (We don't even know if they're going to be here,) he told himself.  
"So, Yusuke, what are we looking for?" Kuwabara asked, drawing Kurama's attention from his thoughts.  
"The treasure keys, remember?"  
"Yeah, but what do they do?"  
"There are six," Kurama said. "One in each corner of the Makai, representing the five elemental sites in the human world."  
"What about the sixth?"  
"Someone holds it to gain all of that power," Kurama said. Yusuke and Kuwabara shuddered. Kurama began to look around the bar. His eyes looked over demons and dirty floors and then . . . (A treasure key!) he thought, sitting straight up. It was in the pocket of one demon's overcoat, who was talking drunkenly to the bartender.  
"What's the matter, Kurama?" Yusuke asked.  
"There's a treasure key held by one of the demons over there," Kurama told them. He pointed, and Yusuke and Kuwabara looked. Unfortunately, so did the demon.  
"What are you looking at?" he demanded to know.  
"We couldn't help noticing that you have something that does not belong to you," Yusuke said, standing up. Kuwabara and Kurama stood up, too, just in case they needed to back Yusuke up. "Now, why don't you hand it over . . . GAAH!" His sentence stopped short as they were attacked by what seemed to be all of the demons in the bar. As Kuwabara brought out his Spirit Sword, and Yusuke let out a round of Spirit Guns, Kurama ducked under the attack and went for the demon with the treasure.  
"You!" he said as Kurama grabbed his head and rammed it into his knee. (Not my style,) he thought. (But it got the job done.) The six keys went clinking to the floor. By the time Kurama had put the demon's body down andhad grabbed one of the keys, the other demon that had been with him had gathered up the keys and was out of sight.  
"I have to follow his scent before it wears away," Kurama said. "Sorry, Yusuke, Kuwabara." He glanced back at the fight, and left.  
  
Even as fast as Kurama was, it still took him a while to catch up with the demon using only his scent. When Kurama finally reached the clearing where the demon had stopped, a demon army was coming into the clearing from the bushes on one side. He lept into the clearing.  
"You!" the one demon yelled. The second, Kurama remembered from his theiving days.  
"Makon," he growled.  
"Yes," Makon said. "Now, GET HIM!!" The demon army and the lackey (who looked reluctant,) charged at Kurama. Calmly, Kurama brought out a rose from his hair.  
*Kurama, where are you?* came Yusuke's voice in his head.  
*No time!* Kurama said, hoping Yusuke would get the point.  
*Just tell me where!*  
*In a clearing about half a mile from the town we were in,* Kurama told them as the demon army drew nearer. *Hurry!*  
*Got it!* Yusuke said, and the demon army lunged at Kurama.  
"Rose Whip!!" Kurama yelled. He swung it around, beheading several demons, including the lackey.  
  
After that, it was chaos. The demons didn't seem to stay dead, or perhaps there were more than Kurama had first thought. He had been fighting for about half an hour before he heard Yusuke and Kuwabara come crashing into the clearing. As the demon army took their attention away from Kurama, he went for Makon. As soon as he had reached Makon, with the other demon cowering in fear, Kurama felt someone come up behind him. Something was pressed to his face, and he fell unconcious, only to be carried away. Makon could only watch as Karasu left the clearing with Kurama and threw a sphere in his direction. It exploded, ending the fight.   
  
Cool! Cliffhanger! Woo-who! I am FINALLY DONE WITH THIS CHAPTER!! I am happy. I'll post the next one as soon as I can. Please review! 


	6. Chapter 6

I'm sowwy about the long delay between chapters. I was gone on a trip right after I posted number five, and well, then things happen, and because school started, it takes me forever to write the chapter (let alone find time to post it) Anyway, I hope you enjoy chapter six!  
  
Oh, and by the way, I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho   
  
Yusuke looked around at the dead demons surrounding him and Kuwabara. It had been a long fight, that was for sure, and both the boys sported many cuts and scrapes. Calling back his Spirit Sword, Kuwabara walked up to Yusuke, whose eye was swelling while turning black, blue, and purple. Kuwabara himself could feel his head pounding, and when he reached a hand to it, he felt a large bump. He tapped it. It hurt. Badly. Yusuke's battered face cracked into a smile, and so did Kuwabara's, until they noticed the absense of their redheaded friend.  
"Hey, where's Kurama?" Kuwabara asked, looking around the clearing for any sign of the fox. Taking Kuwabara's lead, Yusuke looked as well.  
"I don't know," Yusuke said. "Do you think that he may have went into the forest after one of the demons?"  
"I don't think so," Kuwabara said. "He wouldn't have had any reason to."  
"Perhaps he went after the treasures?" Yusuke said, more to himself than to Kuwabara. Suddenly struck by a thought, he went to the demon army's leader, whose head lay several feet from his still body. Yusuke grabbed it and rummaged through the many pockets. After about ten minutes, he had retrieved the six keys from the body. "Nevermind," Yusuke said.  
"Then it's a 'no'?" Kuwabara asked. Yusuke nodded solemly.  
"We should contact Koenma and tell him about this," Yusuke said, pulling out his communication mirror. Kuwabara watched as Yusuke pushed several buttons, trying to find the one to contact the Spirit World. He had obviously not used it much. After a few moments, he cursed.  
"What?" Kuwabara asked him.  
"I don't think it works," Yusuke said.  
"WHAT?" Kuwabara yelled. "Urameshi! You gotta be kidding me!!" Meanwhile, Yusuke looked the mirror over.  
"Yep, here, look," he said. "This part got smashed in. During the fight, I bet."  
"And that means?"  
"I'm no mechanic, but I think that means it's broken," Yusuke said. "It sure looks like a vital part to the machine."  
"I bet Kurama could figure out how to fix it," Kuwabara pouted.  
"We're not talking about Kurama right now," Yusuke said. Kuwabara shot a puzzled look at him as best he could. His head still hurt.  
"Why not?"  
"I don't want to think about what could have happened to him out there," Yusuke said. "As much as he claims that he can take care of himself, he's not entirely Youko anymore." Kuwabara nodded. "What I'm saying here is that we need to find him and make sure he's okay."  
"Urameshi?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Usually you'd just say that we keep an eye out for him as we make our way back into the living world," Kuwabara told him. "What's the big deal about him now?"  
"Do you remember Karasu at the Dark Tournament?" Yusuke asked. He wasn't hoping for miracles, though.  
"Yeah, I think. Was that the freaky guy with the mask who blew people up?" Kuwabara asked, an even more puzzled look on his face.  
"Yeah, him. Well, he came back from the Spirit World, and Koenma thought he was after Kurama for revenge," Yusuke said. "He also thought Karasu was in the Human Realm. I'm not so sure about that anymore."  
"Do you think he has Kurama?"  
"I hope not."  
  
"Okay, we've lowered our searches down to two realms," Koenma said. "We know Karasu is not in the Human Realm, thanks to Hiei." Koenma threw a small smile at Hiei (as best he could with a pacifier in his mouth) who gave a loud "Hn".  
"So that means we've got the Spirit World, and the Makai," Botan said, looking nervously around at everyone.  
"We hope that he's not in the Makai," Koenma said.  
"Right, because that's where Yusuke and the others are," Botan confirmed. Hiei, meanwhile, was looking slightly annoyed and bored with the conversation at hand.  
"I hate to be optimistic," he said. "But I think Kurama can take care of himself," Hiei told the others, glaring at them as if daring them to deny what he had said.  
"He has got a point, Koenma sir," Botan said. "And I hate to be off- subject, but where is Jorge?" The blue oni was, in fact, missing from the office at the time.  
"He's getting reports on the three realms," Koenma told her, and then turned to Hiei. "I don't mean to contradict you, but the last time, Kurama only beat Karasu by the skin of his teeth. And this time, without the ability to turn into Youko Kurama. . . . "  
"He doesn't stand a chance," Botan finished for him. Koenma nodded.  
"Even if he is in the Makai, I think Kurama and Yusuke stand a fair chance of completing the case at hand and getting back before Karasu even realizes he's there," Hiei said.  
"I don't think so," Koenma siad. "Karasu's more organized than that."  
  
"We honestly don't know what's going on," Botan said.  
"I know you don't," Hiei said.  
"That wasn't very nice!" Botan declared, glaring at Hiei. Hiei ignored her.  
"And it's about time that you admitted it," he said, finishing off where Botan had interrupted. She threw him another glare.  
"And that wasn't either," she told him. "We've said from the start that we have no idea where he is or what he's up to."  
"Not from what I remember," Hiei told her. "You were sure he was in the Human Realm, it was just up to me to find out exactly where."  
"Koenma said that, not me!" Botan declared, obviously forgetting that the toddler was sitting right next to them. "And you know how he is!"  
"Right," Hiei said sarcasticly.  
"Yo! In case anyone hasn't noticed, I'm still herem listening to you two insult me," Koenma said, rising from his seat to look at the two. "Botan, I don't like what's coming out of your mouth right now, don't ever say it again. Hiei, we're very sorry about what happened."  
"Whatever."  
"Koenma sir!" Jorge came running into the office, holding a peice of charred and torn paper in his hands.  
"What is it?" Koenma asked. Jorge thrust the paper at him, and he read it quickly. He went pale as he read it over twice more.  
"Koenma sir?" Botan asked.  
"He has Kurama," Koenma said flatly, his voice not showing any sign of happiness or joy about the fact. Hiei sat up straight, Botan clapped her hands over her mouth, and Jorge, who obviously already knew, bowed his head.  
"Karasu?" Hiei asked.  
"Yes," Koenma said. "And he will not release him until we surrender the Spirit World to him." Koenma looked, heck, was scared to death. Hiei had not moved after his initial reaction, but his face was going paler by the minute. Botan already looked as though she were about to be sick. Jorge showed no emotion.  
"What are we going to do, Koenma sir?" Jorge asked.  
"Hiei, go tell Yusuke and Kuwabara," Koenma said. "And well, we'll have to consider Karasu's offer."  
"We can't!" Botan yelled. "We can't do that!"  
"Kurama isn't worth this!" Jorge said wihtout thinking. The other three froze and slowly turned to face him. "Uh . . . oops?"  
"You never say that again," Koenma said. "He is worth any price I am willing to pay, as are the other three detectives."  
"Yes," Botan said. Hiei had not made a noise, but was trembling with held-back rage against the blue oni.  
"Go, Hiei," Koenma said, noticing this. Hiei nodded and vanished. The three bowed their heads and wondered how the Spirit Detective would get out of this.  
  
"How far do you think he could have gotten, Urameshi? We've been walking for hours!" Kuwabara complained. "And my feet hurt!"  
"Mine do too, okay?" Yusuke snapped, letting his anger and panick get the better of him. "We have to find Kurama though."  
"I thought you said Karasu was in the Human Realm," Kuwabara said.  
"That was what Botan and Koenma thought," Yusuke told him. "I said that I wasn't so sure anymore."  
"I don't want to keep walking," Kuwabara said. "Isn't there an easier way?"  
"I don't think so," Yusuke said. "Do you want to take a rest?" Yusuke wasn't sure why he was offering this when Kurama could be in potential danger, but he felt he had to do something to get his mind off the fox. Kuwabara looked around. They were in a spooky bamboo forest where the stuff grew so tall that they couldn't even see the sky, and that made Kuwabara nervous. There was the added fact that there was something that looked too much like dried blood splashed everywhere; on the trees, on the ground, and even on the other few plants that had tried to grow in the eternal darkness.  
"No way!" Kuwabara yelled. "This place is way too spooky!" As Yusuke looked around as well, finally taking in the details, he had to admit that his friend had a point.  
"Yeah, let's get out of here," Yusuke said, all to aware of the dried blood and wondering who it might have belonged to. They walked on in silence, each unable to find the right words to comfort the other. Finally, Kuwabara gave it a shot.  
"You know, Urameshi," Kuwabara said. "Just because we can't find Kurama doesn't mean Karasu has him." The darker-haired boy looked up at his friend, a glint of hope glimmering in his eyes, the one place the hopelessness of the situation hadn't touched.  
"You think?"  
"We all remember what Kurama could do at the tournament, right?"  
"Yeah."  
"Well, then, if he can do it again, there's nothing to worry about!"  
"But, Kuwabara," Yusuke said, his mind resuming its tricks. "He was able to turn into Youko Kurama at the tournament. Now, he couldn't grow a tail even if he tried."  
"Let's not think about that," Kuwabara said.  
"Right, let's keep going." Their talk had brought them out of the bamboo forest and into another small demon town. As the two walked down the "Main Street" they saw lesser and more timid demons hide themselves among the shadows.  
"Geez, they must be scared of us," Kuwabara said after a demon had tripped over his own tail in his hurry to get away from the Spirit Detectives.  
"Ya think, Kuwabara?" Yusuke asked, getting some of his old additude back. "There has to be a reason they're running away. Then again, they might be running from your face."  
"Urameshi!" Kuwabara cried, thinking his friend might have not realized what he had said. But Yusuke was fully aware that he had just said something that might have come out of Hiei's mouth. "I think Kurama was right when he said that you've been spending too much time around the Shrimp!"  
"You're . . . hope . . . less, Kuwabara," Yusuke gasped between peals of laughter. Kuwabara, meanwhile, was crossing his arms over his chest. "Speaking of Hiei, should we try and contact him to tell him about what happened to Kurama?"  
"I think that would be a waste of time, as I already know where he is." Both Yusuke and Kuwabara whipped around to see Hiei leaning against a building, arms crossed in the shadows. It took Kuwabara a moment to register the fact that it was Hiei and not someone trying to kill them.  
"Hiei!" Yusuke yelled.  
"Shrimp! I mean, nice to see you, Hiei," Kuwabara said.  
"Yes," Hiei said. "I was tripping all over myself to get this chance to come and see you guys here in the Makai."  
"Really?" Kuwabara asked, missing the sarcasm in Hiei's voice.  
"He was joking, Kuwabara," Yusuke said. "So, why are you, of all demons, here?"  
"I came to tell you something Koenma felt you needed to know," Hiei said. Then, feeling as if he might do the thing properly, he added, "About Kurama."  
"He made it back?" Yusuke yelled.  
"He's okay?" Kuwabara yelled.  
"Neither," Hiei said, and both boys frowned at him. "Karasu has him."  
  
"How do you know?" Yusuke demanded. "And how can you be so calm when he's in danger like this?"  
"I'm not calm," Hiei stated simply. "I don't show emotions. And, Koenma received a letter from Karasu himself telling us that he had Kurama."  
"Where?"  
"In the Makai."  
"Dang! I knew he was here!"  
"And would not release him unless Koenma handed him the Spirit World as a ransom," Hiei finished. Both of the other boys stopped dead and looked at him. Both went a very nice pale color, and Kuwabara's mouth dropped open at the thought of a ransom that large. Yusuke was the first one to risk speaking.  
"Shit," he mumbled.  
"'Shit' is right," Hiei said, taking on the role of bad news. "And I don't think Koenma's about to pay a price that large just for a former theif."  
"True," Yusuke said. "So what do we do?"  
"Koenma didn't say anything about that," Hiei said. "But I think we take this into our own hands. Do you understand?"  
"You can't mean," Yusuke began, but didn't dare finish.  
"You're crazy," Kuwabara stated simply.  
"We're gonna find Karasu and take Kurama back ourselves," Hiei said.  
  
Kurama was not sure where he was when he woke up. His whole body hurt, and he felt like he hadn't slept or eaten in days. Not bothering to open his eyes, he pushed himself up and wondered what in the world had made his mouth so dry. He swallowed, and his head spun. (Damn,) he thought. (What hit me? Where are Yusuke and Kuwabara?) He swallowed again, ignoring the unplesant feeling, and remembered. (The last time I saw them, they were in the fight . . . Oh no!) He sat straight up as the fearful thought worked its way into his brain. (They couldn't have lost, could they?) He wondered. He heard a voice then, a voice that sent a hot drop of fear into his stomach.  
"Open your eyes, fox." Fearing the very worst, Kurama slowly pried one eye open, and then the other. He discovered what he was laying on was a soft feather bed (which made him even more confused,) and that his dreams were not entirely fiction. Karasu stood before him, in his reach, but Kurama did not feel like striking him. Even though he could not see the other demon's face, he could sense a smile creeping up behind the mask. "What do you think?" Kurama looked around again, and honestly stated the first thing that came into his mind.  
"I'm gonna be sick," he said, and leaned over to the other side of the bed and vomited. Karasu watched without interest as the fox brought his head up again, the edges of his mouth tinged a fine shade of green.  
"Yes, I forget that the potion I doused that cloth with could do that to a demon," he said. Kurama wiped his mouth, and looked at Karasu. The demon was surprised to see the fox's eyes were glazed over. "Perhaps I ought to get you a pan. . . . " he added as Kurama turned away again, and numerous gagging sounds echoed in the room, and he hurried away. When he came back, Kurama was still a fine shade of green, and unplesant-looking stuff coated some of the red hair that hung around Kurama's mouth. The fox was actually laying on his back, waiting for the sickness to pass. As Karasu laid the pan down beside the bed, the fox didn't open his eyes, but stirred slightly.  
"What do you want with me?" he asked. Even speaking brought an unwelcome taste to his mouth, and the fox was all to aware of the vomit that had gotten caught in his hair. He was too sick to wipe it away, though. "Well?" he asked, his mind slowly comprehending that Karasu had yet to give him an answer. There were a few seconds of silence, and then Kurama was surprised to feel something working its way through his hair. He opened his eyes to see Karasu leaning over him, a vomit-covered cloth in hand. He closed his eyes again.  
"We should leave that until you are well, fox," Karasu said, and Kurama was dimly aware of Karasu moving away from him.  
"Perhaps," Kurama muttered, his mind drifting into the black of sleep. (No!) he told himself, (You can't fall asleep now!)  
"Sleep, and we shall discuss such things when you are awake," Karasu said. Kurama nodded mutely, and let his mind take him to dream. Okay, so Kurama has not died yet, that is good  
  
Kurama: *rocking back and forth in corner, his hands over his ears* I am not hearing this, she is creepy, this isn't really happening.  
  
Nagem: Mwahahaha.  
  
Hiei: You're mean.  
  
Nagem: *Showing no sign of hearing Hiei* You're ruining your image, Kurama! Get up!  
  
Kurama: Review, and she might be nicer to me in the next chapter! 


	7. Chapter 7

OKAY!!! I'VE HAD IT!! YOU PEOPLE WIN!!! Ever since I put the question up about yaoi it seems like people have not been reading this.  
  
BUT!! THERE IS HOPE FOR ME YET!!!  
  
I have decided that there will be no yaoi (just hints of it from Karasu . . . we all know how he is) in THIS version of TCE.  
  
BUT!!  
  
I WILL post an alternate ending for all of you yaoi-lovers out there. Unless I get reviews begging me not to. Anyway, please! Read and review!  
  
AND FINALLY!!  
  
Here is the long-awaited (I think. . . . ) seventh chapter to Time Changes Everything. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~* Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho  
  
Nagem: Hee hee, here it is! Finally! I have been LONGING to write this! For a very long time!  
  
Hiei: "Longing to write this for a very long time?" That makes no sense, baka.  
  
Nagem: Okay, so it doesn't. Who cares??  
  
Kurama: Someone save me. *Covers his eyes* I can't watch.   
  
"I . . . think . . . the Shrimp . . . has finally . . . lost his mind . . . Urameshi," Kuwabara panted as Hiei lead him and Yusuke through another very large forest. The two could not see the demon, but were following a very strong energy signal coming from him.  
"I have to agree," Yusuke said, having not lost his breath yet. "Charging Karasu and demanding Kurama's safe return is NOT the smartest thing we've ever done." Their attention was suddenly caught by the energy signal Hiei threw out. It had stopped moving, and was even, at a very slow pace, coming back to them.  
"What's he playing at?" Kuwabara said, coming to a stop. "Why is he turning around?" Yusuke stopped as well and turned when he realized that Kuwabara wasn't coming.  
"I don't know," Yusuke said, feeling as the energy signal came even closer, and listened as they both heard a rustling of tree branches. "Hiei? What's going on?"  
"This had better not be some sort of trick!" Kuwabara yelled. Hiei, unfortunately, heard him. He landed in a tree above the tall orange-haired boy and had a hard time resisting the urge to throw his katana down to see how fast Kuwabara could jump . . . if he could get out of the way in time.  
"Do you think I would bother playing a trick in a situation like this?" The other two jumped and found Hiei in his perch.  
"So . . . is there any reason you're turning around, Hiei?" Yusuke asked as Kuwabara remembered how to breathe again.  
"I just wanted to know if you two are ready for this," Hiei said. "You know how dangerous this can be. Karasu's strong, and even though he has no minions to speak of, he has his bombs. Landmimes, and you all remember the invisible ones."  
"We remember," Kuwabara said with a shudder.  
"Yeah, and we're ready. Anything for a teammate," Yusuke said. "Hey, why do you even care, anyway?"  
"Because if I let you go in unprepared and you got killed, Kurama would never forgive me," Hiei said. "He'd give me this crap about how I shouldn't have gotten you two killed when he could have easily saved himself."  
"Can he?" Kuwabara asked, looking hopeful. Yusuke hit him on the head, while Hiei glared at him and fingered his katana. Yusuke saw this and decided to take action.  
"He probably can, but we're gonna help anyway," he said. "So let's get going. How far is it, Hiei?"  
"About half a mile to where the landmimes start," Hiei said. "And then I disabled the landmimes in a straight line for about two miles." Yusuke and Kuwabara shook their heads at their friend's speed and began to run again.  
"All right!" Kuwabara yelled. "Time to kick some butt!!"  
"This is gonna be fun!"  
"Hang on, Kurama. We're coming."  
  
Kurama gasped for breath. He had had yet another dream of being blown up. He all too vividly remembered the pain in his shoulder, his body when Karasu had launched his attack. He looked around. He was still on the feather bed. (Odd, odd, odd) Kurama thought. (All too odd) This time, though, he was in chains, and unable to sit up. So there he lay, eagle- spread on the bed. He suddenly remembered that sometimes a person was put in chains so that their captor could. . . .  
"Are you awake yet, fox?" The cool voice came from the doorway, and if Kurama could have jumped, he would have.  
"Hai," Kurama said bitterly. He wished he could transform into Youko, or do anything to keep the raven-haired demon away from him. Even so, at this point in time, he felt it would be better for him to play along for a while.  
"All right then," Karasu said, walking over and sitting on a corner of the bed. Kurama bristled slightly, but let the demon do as he wished-for now. "Before we start, was there something you wanted to ask me about?" Kurama didn't know what he was talking about, but the memory popped into his mind, and he nodded.  
"What do you want with me?" Stupid question, yes, but still, he should play the poor-captive, I'm-so-innocent part. Karasu smiled.  
"Yes, I thought you might ask that," he said. "But the answer is simple, Kurama. You caused me pain . . . and I don't like pain." Kurama grimaced, muffling a small "eep". "And we all know that you should have died when you sicked your little blood-sucking plant on me . . . so I'm just going to finish the job it should have done, Kurama." (Okay then, I'm just slightly screwed, so to speak,) Kurama thought. (A/N: I know thats a little un-Kurama-ish, but work with me here okay?)  
"There's no other choices?" Kurama decided he would test his luck.  
"One . . . " Karasu said. "But I'm not sure that you would like it." Kurama didn't stop to wonder if Karasu was right or not.  
"What is it?" he asked.  
"You," Karasu pointed a finger at Kurama to emphasize who the "you" was. "Become mine. Forever." Kurama didn't have to think about the answer to that one.  
"No!!" Kurama yelled. "I would never!!" When Karasu (even though Kurama couldn't see it) frowned, Kurama growled at the raven-haired demon. "And . . . get . . . away from me." With each syllable, Kurama tugged and fought against his restraints.  
"Then there's no other way, I'm afraid," Karasu said. He gently laid a hand on Kurama's shoulder. Kurama winced. The fabric, muscle, and skin tore as Karasu unleashed his attack. Kurama screamed. Karasu moved his hand to Kurama's knee. Kurama screamed again. Then to Kurama's stomach. The fox was unsure how much more of this he could take.  
"I won't give in," he informed his captor. The hand moved again. And yet, never once did it come near Kurama's face. "I won't." It was his leg this time. "Ever." And then his thigh. "Become." Now it was his waist, moving upward over his stomach. "Yours." The hand was right above his heart. "Karasu."  
"Scream, Kurama."   
  
Ya know, I could end it here. I think I will. But I'm working on the next chapter already. I promise. Yeah, I know, we all hate cliffies, and this is to the people who leave them for ME!! AHAHAHAHAHH!!!  
  
Okay then! Tell me how you liked it!! Bye! ^___^ 


	8. Chapter 8

I have nothing else to do right now. So I decided to start chapter eight of TCE. 

Kurama: I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die.

Nagem: Don't be silly!! I'd never kill my favorite fox!!  
  


Kurama: You mean it?

Nagem: *crosses fingers behind her back* Of course!!

Oh, yeah, I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho or anything else that might pop up in this fic.

                The scream that echoed through the minefield was terrifying. Indeed, Yusuke was glad of the speed he'd gained over the past few years, because Kuwabara misstepped as he heard the scream, setting off one of the many invisible bombs, and Yusuke ended up having to save the both of them. Hiei cursed the ningen for making such a racket, but stopped as he listened to the scream. 

                "Do you think that was Kurama?" Kuwabara asked shakily as the sound died down. Yusuke glared at him. 

                "Yes, I think that was Kurama, but I'm hoping that he's okay," Yusuke said. 

                "It doesn't sound like he is," Kuwabara said. 

                "I think you need to close your mouth," Hiei said, with a tone of annoyance in his voice. Yusuke nodded. Kuwabara shut his mouth. The trio ran on, hoping that their fox friend was all right.

                "There!" Yusuke shouted after a few more minutes. "There! That has to be it!!" 

                "This is it," Hiei confirmed. 

                "Let's go save Kurama!!" Kuwabara added. After a few trick doors (that exploded, of course) and several traps (not unlike the bombs in the minefield) they were standing in front of four doors. 

                "This is obvious," Hiei said. "We have to pick a door and see if it's the correct one." Yusuke eyed the four doors.

                "We should stay together," he deduced finally. The other two (Hiei needed a little prompting) nodded. 

                "So which door should we pick, Urameshi?" Kuwabara asked. 

                "I don't know," Yusuke said. "Look for Kurama's energy." The three of them each went to a separate door. "Not through here," Yusuke said after a few moments. 

                "Not here either," Kuwabara said. "Hiei?" 

                "Hn," Hiei said, beginning to walk toward the last door. 

                "I'm going to take that as a no," Yusuke said, following. Nodding, Kuwabara did the same. The door opened with ease ("Good thing, too, cause I really don't wanna fight with a door," Kuwabara muttered.)  and they were walking along a darkened hallway. 

                "Urameshi? Where are you?" Kuwabara demanded. "I can't see!" 

                "None of us can!!" Yusuke said. As he said this, the group entered a lighted room. There was Karasu, leaning over a table. 

                "You!" Hiei growled, but Karasu ignored them. Suddenly, the thing on the table moved, and a groan echoed throughout the room. 

                "Y-yusuke? Hiei?" 

                "KURAMA!!" Yusuke rushed toward the table, only to be blown away by Karasu. "Damn you! What kind of sick game are you playing here?!" 

                "I was just doing what should have happened a while ago," Karasu said, moving towards them. "Kurama should have died in that fight with me. I'm only fixing it." Yusuke growled. Hiei came up next to him. 

                "Get Kurama," Hiei growled. "I'll deal with this guy." He drew his katana and charged at Karasu. He dodged, but Hiei was already launching another attack. Kuwabara ran up to Yusuke.

                "What's going on, Urameshi?" he asked. Yusuke began moving towards the table.

                "Come on!" he hissed at Kuwabara. Kuwabara did not hesitate to follow. When they got to the table, they stopped for a moment to wonder how Kurama was still alive. 

                "Gross!!" Kuwabara mumbled. 

                "What did he do to you?" Yusuke whispered to the kitsune. Kurama opened green eyes and looked at them both. 

                "He . . . he," Kurama started. 

                "Went for your stomach," Kuwabara noted. Yusuke hit him on the head.

                "And then my heart," Kurama mumbled. For the first time, their attention went to Kurama's chest, which was torn open. They could see his heart beating slowly through his ribs. (A/N: eeewie. I feel sick writing this. . . . this is really disgusting) With each pulse, more blood gushed through his chest. Yusuke grabbed Kurama's shoulders.

                "Get his legs," he mumbled to Kuwabara. They could hear Hiei yelling and cursing in the background. "I hope Hiei's going to be okay."

                "The shrimp can handle himself," Kuwabara half-heartedly offered.

                "What's going on?" Kurama asked weakly. 

                "Nothing," Yusuke said. "Save your strength, Kurama, we're gonna save you." Kurama let out a groan as Kuwabara helped Yusuke get Kurama onto his back. When Kurama's torn-open chest hit Yusuke's strong back, the fox let out a pained howl. "Please Kurama, be quiet." 

                "I . . . " Kurama began and then trailed off. 

                "Come on, Kuwabara," Yusuke said, scared for his friend's health. 

                "Are we there yet?" Jorge was running in the forests of the Makai, with Botan riding behind him on her oar. 

                "Almost!!" Botan yelled. Jorge nodded and picked up the pace. 

                "Are you sure that they're gonna need us?"

                "Yusuke hasn't contacted us on the communicator yet, so I think-and Koenma agrees with me-that we need to see if they're all right," Botan yelled. "Especially since we know that Karasu has Kurama kidnapped." 

                "I still don't see why you needed to bring me along!" Jorge yelled. 

                "For protection!" Botan yelled. She was justified when Jorge ran headlong into a demon, mowing him down with only a "Sorry! I'm in a rush!" She giggled when he did it again two seconds later. 

                "Where do you think Yusuke is?" Jorge asked. They were answered a few moments later. 

                "SPIRIT GUN!!!" 

                "Urameshi! Be careful!!" Jorge and Botan stared as Kuwabara tumbled into the path they had been traveling on. "Hey! What'd you do that for?" 

                "Sorry," Yusuke said as he emerged with an unconscious Kurama on his back. "Hey, Kurama, you doing okay back there?"

                "He's not gonna answer you, Yusuke," Botan said. Yusuke jumped. 

                "When did you guys get here?" he asked.

                "We came after you didn't call us and tell us that you knew Karasu had Kurama," Botan said. "How could you be so careless?" 

                "The communicator was broken," Yusuke said. "Otherwise I would have called you." Botan scowled, not sure she should buy the excuse. 

                "How is he?" she asked, motioning to Kurama, returning attention one what really mattered at the moment.

                "Not good," Yusuke said. 

                "How bad?" Yusuke grimaced and gently set Kurama down on the forest floor. "Oh . . . " Botan said as she saw the extent of his wounds. "Karasu?"

                "Yep," Yusuke said. "You . . . you can heal him, can't you?" 

                "I don't know Yusuke, but I'll try," Botan answered and knelt down over the kitsune. "You three," she said, motioning to Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Jorge, "Please stand guard for me while I do this." They nodded and made a circle around her. 

                "He's . . . you're not telling me the truth, baka," Hiei said. He growled as Botan applied a bandage to one of the many wounds he had received from Karasu. "I can take care of my wounds myself." 

                "By licking them?" Botan countered. "That's disgusting." 

                "Hn," Hiei said. He bared his fangs at Botan as she cleaned another wound. Botan shrank back a little bit but kept at her task. "What about Kurama? You're not telling me the truth." The ferry girl threw up her hands in frustration. 

                "I am! Really!" Botan said. As she said this, tears glistened in her eyes. "I took him to the Spirit World myself! You think I would lie about something like that?" 

                "You . . . did?" Hiei's eyes grew wide. "That means . . . dammit! Kurama doesn't die from one blow!!" 

                "It was more than one blow, Hiei," Yusuke said from the doorway. He kept his head down, and Kuwabara's yells still echoed from the next room over. They were at Yusuke's house, three days after Kurama's attempted rescue. Despite Botan's efforts, the kitsune had passed away quietly two days afterward. Botan had come back from her trip to the Spirit World with him the night before. Hiei had arrived that morning, announcing that Karasu was dead and demanding to see Kurama. So they had to break the news to him. "Karasu must have started from his feet and blown up every body part going up to his neck." Hiei froze, and looked down at the floor. 

                "Hn, baka kitsune," Hiei said. "I always knew he'd get himself blown up one of these days." Botan then did something that she had once sworn she would never do. She slapped Hiei hard across the face. Hiei was too stunned by this to react. Even Yusuke stared at Botan's uncharacteristic response to Hiei's words. "Wha-what was that for?" Hiei finally managed to spit out. 

                "Don't talk like that!" Botan all but yelled. "He was your friend, but you're too blockheaded to admit that! And you know you care about his death . . . you're . . . you're just too . . . too stupid to find the courage to care about it!" With that, she gave Hiei another smack and stormed out of the room. 

                "That was . . . unusual," Yusuke said, staring off in Botan's direction. "I didn't know she could do that!" Hiei was too stunned by Botan's words to reply. 

                "Neither did I, Urameshi," Kuwabara said, poking his head into the room. "I guess that girl gets pissed off after all."

                "All of us deal with death in different ways, Kuwabara," Hiei said after a few moments. 

                "Everyone's acting off today!" Yusuke yelled and stormed out of the room. Kuwabara stared after him, and then, with a shrug, followed. Hiei walked over and peered out the window. 

                "I only stated the truth," he said. 

Okay, I seem to like two things in my fics so far, one, the slap-I can't count the number of times that I've made someone slap someone else. Two, Kurama dying. I'm strange. But this is not the end (at least I think it's not)

Kurama's ghost: I told you I was gonna die. 

Nagem: Heheheheheheheheh. Please review and feel free to yell at me. 


	9. Chapter 9

Author's notes at the end of chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho.

                The next morning Yusuke, Kuwabara, Botan and even Hiei went to see Koenma. The toddler greeted them smoothly, and then asked why they were there.

                "Where's Kurama?" Yusuke demanded. "Where is he?" 

                "He's around," Koenma said. "We don't know where we're going to put him yet." He looked around and suddenly realized why the group was there. "Now, Yusuke-" 

                "What do you mean, where you're going to put him?" Yusuke yelled, grabbing the toddler and shaking him. "Send him back, you idiot!!" He shook Koenma harder. "Send him back to us! We. . . ." Yusuke trailed off. 

                "We're not ready to let him go yet," Botan finished sadly, watching Yusuke nearly throw Koenma back onto his chair. 

                "Do you think I'm a moron or something?" Koenma yelled, surprising the group. "Revival was the first thing I offered him! The thing is, Yusuke, he doesn't want to come back." The room went silent as the occupants took a moment to process this information. 

                "Baka," Hiei muttered a few seconds later. 

                "Liar!!" Yusuke yelled, grabbing Koenma again. "Why in hell doesn't he want to come back? You liar, Koenma, you liar!!!!" 

                "Yusuke, put him down, he tells the truth." The door to Koenma's office opened and Kurama-rather, Kurama's spirit-walked in. To everyone's surprise, Hiei confronted him.

                "Why, fox?" he asked in a deathly quiet voice. "Why don't you want to come back?" Kurama paused a second, then sighed. 

                "There's no reason for me to," he said. "I have nothing left to do." 

                "Kurama!!" Botan squeaked. "What are you talking about?"

                "What about Youko Kurama?" Hiei demanded. "Don't you want to go back-?"

                "No, Hiei," Kurama said. "I swore I'd never go back to the way I was before. Don't talk like that. I'm happy here." (A/N: *sighs* cheesy and un-Kurama-ish.) 

                "What about us?" Yusuke demanded, stepping forward. "What about how _we feel?" Kurama blinked. "I know this sounds strange, coming from me, but we need you Kurama, we care about you." Kurama laughed. _

                "You're right, it does sound strange coming from you, but no, Yusuke, I'm sorry," he said. "I have to stay here, I've cheated death so many times that it feels like its time to finally embrace it." 

                "Kurama!" Yusuke yelled, defeated. 

                "I'm going now," Kurama said, turning. 

                "What about your mother?" The room went silent once again. Kurama turned, eyeing Yusuke with a cold stare. "What about her? Don't you even care about what she's going to do when she finds out that you're gone?" Yusuke balled his hands into fists. "When you stole the Forlorn Hope, back before we were a team, you were willing to give your life to make your mother happy. Now you just have to come back to life to make her happy. Doesn't that sound like a good deal?"(A/N: Dude, that makes no sense, does it?) Kurama stood speechless for several minutes, obviously contemplating what Yusuke had said. 

                "The offer still stands, Kurama, if you want to go back," Koenma said. After a few more moments, they began to worry. 

                "Kurama, _please,_" Botan said. 

                "Come on," Yusuke muttered. 

                "Fox," Hiei said. "I don't care, it's up to you." 

                "You're not very much help, Shrimp!!" Kuwabara yelled, breaking the dramatic tension of the moment. Hiei shook his head.

                "And you _are _help?" Hiei asked. 

                "A lot better help than you are!"

                "You haven't said one intelligent thing since we got here," the fire youkai said. "Actually, you'd better make that you're whole life." 

                "That's it!" Kuwabara lunged for Hiei, but Hiei stepped to one side and Kuwabara fell to the ground with a thud. Kurama chuckled. "It's not that funny fox-boy!!" Kurama laughed even harder.

                "I'd miss you guys fighting like this," he said. "And Yusuke's right, my mother would be that much happier if I were to go home." 

                "Then it's settled," Koenma said. "Now all of you get out of my office so I can get a little piece and quiet around here!" 

                Shoiri welcomed Kurama home, asking where in the world he had been. Kurama shrugged and gave a half-hearted explanation. 

                "Well, let's hope that this doesn't happen again," Yusuke said once they were in Kurama's room. "I don't think I could convince you to come back to like again." 

                "I don't know, Yusuke, you're a pretty moving speaker when you want to be," Kurama said, fiddling with a strand of long red hair. "So . . . Hiei killed Karasu?"

                "That's what it sounds like," Yusuke said. "His actual words were, 'The sadist's dead. Now where's the fox?' Kurama, does he _ever call you by your proper name?"_

                "Yes, every once in a while," Kurama said. 

                "Name three times," came a voice from the windowsill.

                "Hey, Hiei," Kurama and Yusuke chorused while Kuwabara jumped and demanded to know why Hiei didn't knock. 

                "Baka," was Hiei's reply as he closed Kurama's window and leaned against the wall near the rest of the group. "So, feeling better, fox?" 

                "Fine," Kurama said while Yusuke grinned. 

                "He doesn't!!" Yusuke announced. Kurama sighed. Hiei shook his head. Kuwabara backtracked a minute to figure out what Yusuke was talking about. 

                "Hn, baka," Hiei growled. Yusuke stuck his tongue out at Hiei. Kurama sighed. Life was back to normal. At least, normal as it would ever be for him.

This is the conclusion of the non-yaoi ending. If you are a yaoi-hater, this is where the story ends for you. Be happy with it, and don't flame me because the next (alternate) ending contains yaoi. Actually, people have been really accepting about this whole thing. I was sure I was going to get flamed.

Anyway, for anyone who misunderstood, each ending is more than one chapter. The yaoi ending will probably be around two or three chapters. Note: the chapters that contain the alternate ending will be titled "Chapter __, alternate ending" Er, you'll see what I mean. 

One last time, not because anyone's stupid, but for good measure; This is the conclusion of the non-yaoi ending. If you are a yaoi-hater, this is where the story ends for you. 


	10. Chapter 7, alternate ending

Okay!! Thanks to those of you who stuck with me through the other ending!! And for those who finally got fed up with me and are no longer reading this! Well . . . piffle to them. 

Err, this chapter starts out exactly like the other chapter seven did, but it changes, so no, I did not post the same thing twice. Just hang with me here, this is a very different ending from last time. 

Oh, one more thing. This is the first time I've EVER written a romance of any kind, so if it sucks, I'm sorry!! Please be nice. 

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. 

                "I . . . think . . . the Shrimp . . . has finally . . . lost his mind . . . Urameshi," Kuwabara panted as Hiei lead him and Yusuke through another very large forest. The two could not see the demon, but were following a very strong energy signal coming from him. 

                "I have to agree," Yusuke said, having not lost his breath yet. "Charging Karasu and demanding Kurama's safe return is NOT the smartest thing we've ever done." Their attention was suddenly caught by the energy signal Hiei threw out. It had stopped moving, and was even, at a very slow pace, coming back to them.

                "What's he playing at?" Kuwabara said, coming to a stop. "Why is he turning around?" Yusuke stopped as well and turned when he realized that Kuwabara wasn't coming.

                "I don't know," Yusuke said, feeling as the energy signal came even closer, and listened as they both heard a rustling of tree branches. "Hiei? What's going on?" 

                "This had better not be some sort of trick!" Kuwabara yelled. Hiei, unfortunately, heard him. He landed in a tree above the tall orange-haired boy and had a hard time resisting the urge to throw his katana down to see how fast Kuwabara could jump . . . if he could get out of the way in time. 

                "Do you think I would bother playing a trick in a situation like this?" The other two jumped and found Hiei in his perch. 

                "So . . . is there any reason you're turning around, Hiei?" Yusuke asked as Kuwabara remembered how to breathe again.

                "I just wanted to know if you two are ready for this," Hiei said. "You know how dangerous this can be. Karasu's strong, and even though he has no minions to speak of, he has his bombs. Landmines, and you all remember the invisible ones." 

                "We remember," Kuwabara said with a shudder. 

                "Yeah, and we're ready. Anything for a teammate," Yusuke said. "Hey, why do you even care, anyway?" 

                "Because if I let you go in unprepared and you got killed, Kurama would never forgive me," Hiei said. "He'd give me this crap about how I shouldn't have gotten you two killed when he could have easily saved himself."

                "Can he?" Kuwabara asked, looking hopeful. Yusuke hit him on the head, while Hiei glared at him and fingered his katana. Yusuke saw this and decided to take action.

                "He probably can, but we're gonna help anyway," he said. "So let's get going. How far is it, Hiei?" 

                "About half a mile to where the landmines start," Hiei said. "And then I disabled the landmines in a straight line for about two miles." Yusuke and Kuwabara shook their heads at their friend's speed and began to run again. 

                "All right!" Kuwabara yelled. "Time to kick some butt!!" 

                "This is gonna be fun!" 

                "Hang on, Kurama. We're coming." 

                "Hold it!!" Yusuke tripped as Botan came flying up to them. Rubbing his head, he regarded the grim reaper with an angry expression. 

                "What do you want?" Yusuke asked. 

                "We don't what's going on with Kurama in there," Botan said. "So Koenma sent me to open a portal back to the Ningenkai in case you guys need to get out quickly." Yusuke nodded, realizing what she was saying. 

                "Thanks, Botan," he said. Kuwabara smiled, and Hiei "hn"ed. 

                Kurama gasped for breath. He had had yet another dream of being blown up. He all too vividly remembered the pain in his shoulder, his body when Karasu had launched his attack. He looked around. He was still on the feather bed. _Odd, odd, odd, Kurama thought. __All too odd This time, though, he was in chains, and unable to sit up. So there he lay, eagle-spread on the bed. He suddenly remembered that sometimes a person was put in chains so that their captor could. . . . _

                "Are you awake yet, fox?" The cool voice came from the doorway, and if Kurama could have jumped, he would have. 

                "Hai," Kurama said bitterly. He wished he could transform into Youko, or do anything to keep the raven-haired demon away from him. Even so, at this point in time, he felt it would be better for him to play along for a while. 

                "All right then," Karasu said, walking over and sitting on a corner of the bed. Kurama bristled slightly, but let the demon do as he wished-for now. "Before we start, was there something you wanted to ask me about?" Kurama didn't know what he was talking about, but the memory popped into his mind, and he nodded.

                "What do you want with me?" Stupid question, yes, but still, he should play the poor-captive, I'm-so-innocent part. Karasu smiled.

                "Yes, I thought you might ask that," he said. "But the answer is simple, Kurama. You caused me pain . . . and I don't like pain." Kurama grimaced, muffling a small "eep".  "And we all know that you should have died when you sicked your little blood-sucking plant on me . . . so I'm just going to finish the job it should have done, Kurama." _Okay then, I'm just slightly screwed, so to speak,_ Kurama thought. (A/N: I know that's a little un-Kurama-ish, but work with me here okay?) 

                "There's no other choices?" Kurama decided he would test his luck. 

                "One . . . " Karasu said. "But I'm not sure that you would like it."

                "What is it?" 

                "You become mine forever," Karasu said, stroking the fox's face. Kurama recoiled slightly, wincing at the crow's touch, trying to ignore the drop of white-hot emotion in his stomach. _I'm not in love, _Kurama told himself firmly as Karasu continued to stroke the fox's face. _My body is reacting as it would to heat or cold, there's nothing I can do. Besides! He's a _guy._ I'm not gay! "I knew it." Kurama looked up to see Karasu's eyes filled with hurt. __How can he be hurt? Kurama wondered. He suddenly felt guilty_

                "Karasu," Kurama said. "I-"

                 "Shhhh," Karasu said. He slowly took off the metal mask he wore, exposing thin lips. Kurama closed his eyes as he felt Karasu's face move closer. Even still, nothing could have prepared Kurama for what came next, when their lips gently collided, and then when Karasu deepened the kiss. Before Kurama could respond, Karasu pulled away.

                "Karasu," Kurama tried again. "I-" He wanted to say it, but his throat closed around the words. As Karasu began to unlock the locks on the chains, tears filled Kurama's eyes, and he regarded Karasu in surprise. "I-" 

                "Nani, kitsune?" Karasu asked. When he faced Kurama, the look of pain in his eyes had not vanished. Kurama could tell the crow was asking to be killed, but did not move from his place on the bed. He saw Karasu's eyes harden as the silence between them grew. "If there is nothing you wish to say, then kill me, for you are free." 

                "Karasu," Kurama mumbled, before pulling the crow's face down to meet his. Their foreheads pressed together, and Kurama gently stroked Karasu's lips with his tongue. When the crow opened his mouth, their tongues twisted about each other for a moment. It was not meant to last, however.

                "KURAMA!!!" The yell caused both youkai to jump and pull away from each other. Yusuke was standing there in the doorway to the room, a look of obvious disgust painted on his face. Hiei and Kuwabara wore the same expressions, even though Hiei was obviously trying to hide it. 

                "Guys," Kurama said weakly, still shocked at what happened, trying to get his feet under him. "Karasu's . . . " he was cut off as Yusuke and Kuwabara grabbed him, dragging him away from the crow and toward the door. 

                "Hiei! Hold 'em off until we get Kurama through the portal!!" Hiei drew his katana and charged at Karasu. Kurama's mouth opened in horror as the crow managed to dodge the swipe. Everyone present knew that Karasu couldn't last for long.

                "Don't fight!" Kurama screamed suddenly. "Don't fight! Just run! Otherwise he'll kill you!!" Kurama threw himself against Yusuke and Kuwabara's holds, almost in tears as he watched Hiei score a slash on across Karasu's chest. He looked up at his friends. "Yusuke . . . please, he didn't hurt me, I swear it. Don't do this. I . . . " 

                "Come on, Kuwabara," Yusuke said, nearly throwing Kurama backwards as he hauled the fox to the door. "Karasu musta brainwashed him." 

                "I'm _not _brainwashed!" Kurama grunted. "Yusuke!!" 

                "I dunno, Urameshi, it sounds like he means it," Kuwabara said. 

                "Of course it does, doofus, he doesn't know what's going on!" By this time, the duo had managed to haul Kurama out of the room, and Kurama could no longer see the fight. There was a loud explosion, and Kurama feared for Karasu's safety. 

                "I know what's going on," he mumbled as his tired body collapsed. "I-I'm in love with Karasu." With that, he fainted as Yusuke and Kuwabara pulled him through the portal; a battered Hiei following right behind. 

*sighs* Phew. That's done. Now . . . I _could be mean and end it right here and have you guys wait for a sequel (I like sequels, don't I?) or I could add another chapter. Either way, I have something planned for Karasu and Kurama. I said yaoi, and ye shall have yaoi (okay, now I sound like I'm doing an odd version of Shakespeare or somethin') Well, what do you guys think? Sequel or another chapter or two . . . or three, or however many it takes? Please review and tell me! _


	11. chapter 8, alternate ending

All right, then. It's about time that I got the next chapter of this thing up. Thanks for the positive reviews about my romance-I never pride myself on the mushy stuff. 

Time seemed to slow for Kurama as Hiei said the three words. 

"Karasu isn't dead." Kurama smiled at the news. His lover was safe-for now. 

"If he isn't dead then he'll come after Kurama," Yusuke said, his arms crossed as he stared at Koenma. Kuwabara and Hiei were silently bickering over something-Kurama could hear their furious whispers but had no desire to decipher them. The demi-god mumbled something that might have been, "I know" while Kurama winced. News of his very sudden relationship with Karasu had spread (A/N: excuse the cliche) like wildfire. 

"We need to protect him," Botan mumbled weakly from the corner. Koenma sighed, Yusuke nodded, and Hiei and Kuwabara's fight suddenly stopped as the two looked about the room at everyone. Koenma put his chin down onto his desk, folding his arms across his face as if he were preparing for some kind of impact. 

"I can't spare any oni," he mumbled. "They're all trying to clean up the other messes that Karasu made." The room went tense, except for Kurama, who stepped forward. 

"It doesn't matter," Kurama said. "I can protect myself."

"Like you did before?" Hiei asked. "Fox, that didn't look like you were protecting yourself." Kurama winced and dismissed the cutting remark as Yusuke nodded in agreement with Hiei. 

"I should be getting home," Kurama said. "My 'kassan's going to be worried about me."

"Kurama!" Koenma yelled. "Stay here until we're sure that you're safe!" Kurama ignored him and continued walking. Koenma fell back into his chair with a grunt as the rest of the gang stared after the kitsune. 

"That didn't work," Kuwabara said, pointing out the obvious. Hiei walked out of the room after Kurama. Koenma opened his mouth, ready to say something, but thought better of it. 

"I should know better than to tell a youko what to do," he said. 

  


Kurama wasn't sure when Hiei caught up to him in the Ningenkai. All he knew was that Hiei was suddenly on his bed, apparently asleep as Kurama shuffled through the makeup work his mother had gotten for him while he was gone. 

"It's a good thing I told 'kassan I'd be gone for a while," he said. Even though he made no indication that he was talking to Hiei, the fire youkai opened one lazy eye and surveyed the kitsune. "Why are you here? I didn't think that Koenma'd send _you_, with as much as you're in the Makai." 

"Hn," Hiei said. Kurama knew Hiei was ready to talk, so Kurama sat and looked straight at him. "You sound like you suddenly don't care if you're protected or not." Kurama shrugged, an unusual gesture that showed Hiei how unnerved he really was.

"Karasu'd get past you all," Kurama said slowly. 

"If," Hiei said, providing the link to the next phrase, knowing the kitsune had more to say. 

"He comes for me," Kurama said. "Hiei, I don't know if he'd come for me. Not that you care. You'd rather see him not come." Kurama sighed and pulled out a pencil, ready to start on his homework. 

"You're right," Hiei said. "I don't want to see him come. Kitsune, he'd hurt you, you know." The pencil skidded across Kurama's paper, leaving a thick black line. 

"He loves me," Kurama whispered, knowing he sounded like some love-sick schoolgirl in a cliche movie. 

"He's playing with you," Hiei told Kurama, eyes narrowing. "As soon as he finds someone else, he'll blow you up and forget about you. Like that ningen saying. . . 'Out of . . .' what was it again?" 

"'Out of sight, out of mind?'" Kurama provided. Hiei nodded as Kurama fiddled with his pencil, nervous by this point. _Karasu wouldn't leave me, would he? There's no way . . . after what happened. . . . _

"Don't fool yourself, fox," Hiei said. Kurama jumped, and saw the Jagan eye glow as he glanced over at the fire youkai. Kurama made a face, obviously not pleased that Hiei had read his mind. "You of all people should know that Karasu. . . . "

"Hiei, shut up," Kurama said, his voice shaking. "Just shut up. Don't talk about what you don't know." Hiei gaped at Kurama's out-of-character words. "You don't know Karasu. You didn't fight with him, didn't get abducted by him. . . . You didn't fall in love with him." There were tears in Kurama's eyes by this point. Hiei stood there, shocked and completely silent. 

"Kurama," Hiei whispered. 

"Go away," Kurama whispered, folding his arms on the desk and putting his face in them. "Just go away, Hiei. I don't want to talk to you right now." Kurama's words were muffled by his arms, and choked out through tears. When Kurama looked up again, the fire youkai was gone. Kurama stood up and paced for a minute or two before laying down on the bed. Looking up at the ceiling, Kurama closed his eyes and felt more tears squeeze out from then and down his cheeks. "I'm so _confused,_" he whispered. "Hiei has a point, but I can't . . . I don't want to believe it." The kitsune drifted off to sleep, his mind turning over what to think about Karasu. 

  


Meanwhile, in the Makai, another's tears flowed freely as he mourned the loss of his lover. Karasu was sitting with his back against a tree as he thought about Kurama. He loved the kitsune, he really did. It was odd. Usually Karasu would play with someone just long enough to make them think he loved them, then he would kill them before they could die otherwise. But Kurama was different. He acted scared of Karasu at first, trying to push the crow out of his life when everyone else hadn't. He had almost succeeded, too. But Karasu had come back, fully expecting Kurama to reject him again. The kitsune, however, had given Karasu a second chance. Karasu was amazed, and happy. When Kurama had pulled Karasu in for the kiss, Karasu knew that he didn't ever want to let the kitsune go. But he had to, as Hiei had attacked and Kurama was pulled away from him. 

"It just wasn't meant to be," Karasu said, portraying the perfect picture of someone who had suffered an emotional blow. He shrugged and fiddled with a lock of hair, trying to bite back another wave of tears. He ignored the sound of leaves moving around him. He heard someone land in front of him, but didn't look up. 

"You don't want to live, do you?" It was Hiei, Karasu realized as the fire youkai moved closer to him. Karasu stiffened and shook his head to answer the question. Hiei let out a laugh. "Don't be upset. You were lucky to get as close to him as you did." 

"Are you here just to torment me or do you have a reason to talk to me?" Karasu asked, putting his head down and trying to ignore Hiei. The fire youkai's eyes narrowed. 

"If you're going to be rude, then I might not tell you why I'm here," Hiei said. Karasu peered up at Hiei, watching even though he did not appear to moving. "Kurama's upset. He didn't want to be taken away from you."

"I knew that," Karasu whispered. His head snapped up as he heard Hiei sigh. "If you want me to go after him, I can't. I'm weak, I was drained of all of my energy after I fought you, and there's sure to be people watching Kurama." 

"There's not," Hiei told Karasu. The crow's eyes widened at the news. "Koenma couldn't spare any guards, and I don't feel like protecting Kurama when he's upset like this."

"Why?"

"He doesn't give me any sweet snow," Hiei said. "I'd suggest you visit him before Koenma can find someone to watch over Kurama all the time." A small hope of seeing Kurama bloomed in Karasu's heart. It grew as Karasu watched Hiei vanish, flitting in between the trees. 

"Should I?" Karasu whispered. He stumbled to his feet. "I'm coming, Kurama." 

Sorry this thing is so short, I wanted there to be another chapter. Plus (I've made this excuse before) I'm coming out of a really serious case of writer's block, so that accounts for a few things (like the fact that some of the characters are totally OOC) 

Anyway, I am planning to make a really short next chapter and a sequel about how people react to Kurama and Karasu's relationship, yada, yada, yada. . Any suggestions on the title of the next TCE? (Time changes everything II sounds really cheesy) 

Well, please drop me a review. 


	12. Chapter 9, alternate ending

THE LAST CHAPTER!!!! 

Geez, it feels like forever since I started this thing. It was my first story on ff.net, and, not that you care, the yaoi ending was the original ending until I got a bunch of reviews telling me not to have yaoi. But next time I'll put a warning up and I won't have to bother with another alternate ending thing. 

All right! VERY IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END OF THIS CHAPTER!! READ IT CLOSELY IF YOU WANT TO READ THE SEQUEL!!

  


Kurama turned over in his bed, sweat dotting his forehead as he cried out, trapped in a dream. (A/N: Hmmm, I wonder what he's dreaming there. Naughty, naughty, Kurama. *gets hit in head by random plant* Darn kitsune.) He moaned, burying his face in his pillow. (A/N: Again. Sorry, I'm comment-y tonight. This is really starting to sound like some sort of lemon. I don't write lemons by the way, mom'd kill me.) 

"Please," he moaned to the unseen dream-figure. "Don't." (A/N: I stand by what I said before. It sounds like a freakin' lemon) The door creaked open, and Shiori stepped in, surveying her sleeping son. (A/N: Last one, I promise. If this was a lemon, Kurama would be in soooooo much trouble right about now.) She tiptoed over to the bed, gently laying a hand on Kurama's forehead. 

"No fever," she whispered. "Just a bad dream."

"'Kassan?" Kurama muttered, opening green eyes. Shiori smiled, stroking his flame-red hair. "Why're you in here?" 

"I'm just checking to see if you're all right," she said. "Shuichi, you've been acting strange lately. When I heard you cry out, I thought you might be sick." Kurama's eyes widened.

"Acting . . . strange?" he asked. He didn't think he'd been acting out of the norm. He decided mothers just had this way of knowing when something went wrong. "What do you mean?" 

"You never want to talk to your friends anymore," Shiori said, still stroking Kurama's hair. It was slightly annoying, but comforting at the same time. Kurama closed his eyes, wishing he and his mother could stay like this forever. It made him forget about Karasu. "Ever since you got back from the trip. Did something happen?" Kurama involuntarily tensed under his mother's hand, making it pause. 

"No . . . nothing happened, 'kassan," he said. She nodded, not quite believing him, and stood, glancing at him once more before leaving the room. Kurama bit his lip, guilt boiling in his stomach for making his mother worry about him like this. He sighed and rolled over, so his face was in his pillow. He heard the window open.

"Kurama," a soft voice whispered as Kurama heard footsteps on the carpet. Kurama growled into his pillow. 

_Hiei, dammit, _Kurama thought. _You won't leave me alone after you've told me off. _He was shocked when he heard Hiei's voice a moment later. 

*_I heard that, fox,* _Hiei said. _*And in case you're about to curse me again, I'm not the one in your room.* _

_Then who is?? _Kurama thought, knowing Hiei would hear him 

_*Take a guess and then take a look,* _Hiei said. With that, Kurama felt Hiei's ki vanish. He stayed still for a moment, listening to the ragged breathing that still filled his room. 

"Kurama?" the voice came closer as Kurama heard footsteps on the carpet again. (A/N: We all know this is, right? Oh, and I just realized the whole above conversation was way out of Hiei's character, wasn't it?) "Kurama . . . are you awake?" Kurama rolled over and looked into violet eyes. He felt his mouth open in shock. 

"K-Karasu?" he whispered, reaching up to touch the crow's face to make sure it wasn't a dream. "B-but, Koenma, and Yusuke . . . you're not supposed to be here." Karasu's thin, pale hand took a hold of Kurama's. 

"Don't worry," he said, his voice gentle. "If anyone comes, I can fight." 

"Karasu, I don't want you to hurt them," Kurama said, withdrawing his hand. "They won't understand if you keep trying to fight them. They'll think that you want to hurt me, and I know you don't."

"What would you have me do, then?" Karasu asked, sitting on the bed, staring at Kurama. Tears brimmed at the edges of his eyes. 

"I-I don't know," he whispered. "I'm just so confused." Karasu leaned over, wrapping his arms around the fox and lifting him a few inches off the bed before kissing him. Kurama fought for a moment, not wanting to leave the problem of his friends unresolved, but gave in, wrapping his arms around Karasu's neck. For those few moments, it was bliss, but the kiss broke when they heard Shiori's footsteps coming toward Kurama's room. Karasu cursed softly, before laying the kitsune back down and vanishing. Kurama bit his lip before rolling over and pretending to be asleep. 

"Shuichi?" Shiori whispered, opening the door. "I thought I heard-oh. He's asleep." Kurama didn't dare move, even if he could make it look like he was rolling over in his sleep. If he moved, Shiori would probably come in to make sure he was all right, and the longer Shiori was in his room, the more likely she was to find Karasu, wherever he had vanished to. Even though Kurama had seen Karasu vanish, he could still feel the crow's ki, as strong as it had been when they had kissed. Kurama heard the door close, and breathed out an almost silent sigh of relief. When he was sure Shiori was out of earshot, he spoke. 

"Karasu," he whispered, quieter than he had before, so Shiori would not come again. "Karasu, where are you?"

"I'm right here," he said, seeming to step from the walls. 

"Where were you hiding?" Kurama asked, curious. Karasu shrugged, and pointed at the closet behind him. Kurama was assaulted by an image of Karasu crouching low in his closet, and buried his face in the pillow to muffle his laughter. 

"It's not _that _funny," Karasu whispered, mock-pouting, his lower lip sticking out. 

"Stop that," Kurama said, once he had recovered. "You're going to make me start laughing again." Karasu stuck his lip out further in defiance, making Kurama laugh again, his red hair falling about his shoulders as they shook while his face was buried in the pillow. When Kurama turned over again, his face was red. "I don't think I've ever laughed this hard . . . well, not for a long time, anyway." 

"Good," Karasu said, sitting on the bed and leaning over to kiss Kurama. The kitsune reached up and pulled Karasu down onto the bed next to him while the crow tried to pry Kurama's mouth open. After their tongues twisted about each other for a moment, Karasu moved away, trailing his kisses down Kurama's neck. The kitsune gasped. Karasu's tongue darted out to lick the soft skin on Kurama's neck.

"K-Karasu," Kurama managed to stutter before he was lost in the moment. "We shouldn't . . . my 'kassan, she'll hear us." Karasu looked up from Kurama's chest, where he was trying to undo the buttons on Kurama's pajamas. He bit his lip, as if debating, but then got off Kurama. 

"Fine," he said. "But next time, fox, you're mine." Kurama nodded. A smile graced Karasu's lips. "It's your fault, you're the one who pulled me down on top of you." Kurama frowned at Karasu as the crow vanished out the window. Kurama smiled, turned over, and went to sleep. 

CRAPPY ENDING!! 

BUT THAT'S OKAY!!!

BECAUSE THERE'S A SEQUEL!!

Okay, now that I've got everyone's attention, yes this is the last chapter. Yes, I know it's a crappy chapter with a crappy ending, but I promise that there is a sequel. It's going to be called "Romance isn't always happy." Write that down and don't forget it. If it's not up in two weeks, check my bio to see what's up (under the word, "sequels" in big letters)

Well, I guess this is it. My first fic on ff.net is actually over. Well, bye. 

-Nagem


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